cafeteria
nouncommon in dialogue
- United Kingdom//ˌka.fə.ˈtɪə̯.ɹi.ə//
- United States//ˌkæ.fə.ˈtɪ(ə).ɹi.ə//
A restaurant in which customers select their food at a counter then carry it on a tray to a table to eat.
noun
- 1
A restaurant in which customers select their food at a counter then carry it on a tray to a table to eat.
- 2
A dining area in an institution where meals may be purchased (as above), provided, or brought in from elsewhere.
Etymology
Borrowed from Mexican Spanish cafetería (“coffeehouse”), from cafetera (“coffee maker”), from French cafetière, from café, from Ottoman Turkish قهوه (kahve) (Turkish kahve), from Arabic قَهْوَة (qahwa, “coffee”). Doublet of cafetière.
Forms
- plural
- cafeterias
Caesar · An ancient Roman family name, notably that of Julius Caesar.cafe · A convenience store, originally one that sold coffee and…café · A coffee shop; an establishment selling coffee and sometimes…
cafeteria · A restaurant in which customers select their food at a counter then carry it on a tray to a table to eat.
caffeine · An alkaloid, C₈H₁₀N₄O₂, found naturally in tea and coffee…Caffrey · A surname from Irish.cage · An enclosure made of spaced bars, normally to hold animals…