cupboard

== English == === Alternative forms === cobbarde, cobbourd, coberde, cobord, copbord, copborde, copbourd, copbourde, copburd, copburde, couborde, cowbard, cubbard, cubbarde, cubberd, cubbert, cubboard, cubboorde, cubbord, cubborde, cupbert, cupbard, cupboarde, cupboord, cupbord, cupborde, cupbourd, cupbourde, cupburd, cupburde, cuppord, cupporde (all obsolete) === Etymology === Inherited from Middle English cuppeborde, cupbord. Equivalent to cup +‎ board. Phonetic variants show that the /p/ in the original forms had assimilated to the present-day /b/ by the 16th century; the etymological spelling has, however, dominated from the 18th century. === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈkʌb.əd/ (General American, Canada) IPA(key): /ˈkʌb.ɚd/ (General Australian, New Zealand) IPA(key): /ˈkɐb.əd/ (Philippines and non-native speakers' English) IPA(key): /ˈkʌp.boɹd/ (Northern England) IPA(key): /ˈkʊbəd/ (Ottawa Valley) IPA(key): /ˈkʊbərd/ Rhymes: -ʌbə(ɹ)d Hyphenation: cup‧board === Noun === cupboard (plural cupboards) (obsolete) A board or table used to openly hold and display silver plate and other dishware; a sideboard; a buffet. [14th–18th c.] (obsolete) Things displayed on a sideboard; dishware, particularly valuable plate. [16th–19th c.] a. 1529, John Skelton, Why Come Ye Nat to Courte?; published in John Skelton; Alexander Dyce, The Poetical Works of John Skelton: With Notes, and Some Account of the Author and His Writings, by the Rev. Alexander Dyce. In Two Volumes., volume II, London: Thomas Rodd, Great Newport Street, 1843, OCLC 733571702, page 54, lines 897–904: But howe comme to pas, / Your cupbord that was / Is tourned to glasse, / From syluere to brasse, / From golde to pewter, / Or els to a newter, / To copper, to tyn, / To lede, or alcumyn? A cabinet, closet, or other piece of furniture with shelves intended for storing cookware, dishware, or food; similar cabinets or closets used for storing other items. (UK, Western Pennsylvania) A closet for storing coats. (obsolete) Things stored in a cupboard; particularly food. c. 1665, Roxburghe Ballads; published as J[oseph] W[oodfall] Ebsworth, editor, The Roxburghe Ballads: Illustrating the Last Years of the Stuarts, volume VI, Hertford: Printed for the Ballad Society by S. Austin and Sons, 1871–1899, OCLC 13767296, page 529, lines 26–30: Some men they [make] love for what they can get, / And 'tis certain there's many a Lubbard; / Will sigh and will pant, seeming ready to faint, / And all for the love of the cubbard, brave boys! / And all [for the love of the Cup-board]. ==== Synonyms ==== (furniture used to display tableware): see sideboard (kitchen or dining-room closet): see pantry, larder ==== Hypernyms ==== (storage built into a wall): see closet (storage built onto a wall): see cabinet (furniture used for general storage): press (Irish & Scots), wardrobe (British), closet (regional US) ==== Derived terms ==== cupboard (verb) ==== Descendants ==== → Chichewa: m'kabati → Farefare: kobɔɔtɩ → Gulf Arabic: كبت (kabat) → Luhya: likapati → Māori: kāpata → Swahili: kabati → Zulu: ekhabetheni ==== Translations ==== === Verb === cupboard (third-person singular simple present cupboards, present participle cupboarding, simple past and past participle cupboarded) To collect, as into a cupboard; to hoard. [from 16th century.] === Further reading === Oxford English Dictionary, 1st ed. "cupboard, n." and "cupboard, v." Oxford University Press (Oxford), 1893.