cafeteria
gb/kˌæfətˈɪɹiə/ us/kˌæfətˈɪɹiə/
A2
English
~ 1600
menza, kantin, étkezde
NOUN
A2
1
Usage pattern:
[someone] eats in [a cafeteria]
We met for lunch in the company cafeteria.
A céges menzán találkoztunk ebédelni.
The school cafeteria serves pizza every Friday.
Az iskolai menzán minden pénteken pizzát adnak.
She prefers bringing her own lunch instead of eating in the cafeteria.
The hospital cafeteria is open 24 hours a day.
Learner examples
We eat lunch in the school cafeteria.
Az iskolai menzán ebédelünk.
I buy coffee in the cafeteria every morning.
Minden reggel a kantinban veszek kávét.
The cafeteria is on the first floor.
He works in the cafeteria.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'cafeteria' with 'cafe'; a cafe is usually a small restaurant where you order and are served, while a cafeteria is typically self-service.
Meaning
Self-service dining area
Collocations
school cafeteria
|company cafeteria
|hospital cafeteria
|eat in the cafeteria
|cafeteria food
Synonyms
canteen (Common in British English for a similar facility, especially in schools and workplaces.)
|
dining hall (Often refers to a larger, more formal eating area, especially in colleges.)
Antonyms
restaurant (A commercial eating place where food is served at the table rather than self-service.)
Themes
daily life
|food
|education
|food_drink
|daily_life
Definition
A place in a school, office, or other building where you can get food and eat it there.
A place, usually in a school, workplace, or institution, where people choose their own food from a counter and pay before eating, often in a shared seating area.
Grammar
Dictionary form
cafeteria
IPA
GB/kˌæfətˈɪɹiə/
US/kˌæfətˈɪɹiə/
Syllables & stress
cafet - er - ia (3 syllables)
Stress on 3rd syllable (ia)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: cafeteria
- Plural: cafeterias
Word family
Expressions
cafeteria plan
1/kˌæfətˈɪɹiə plˈæn/
fixed phrase
Employee benefits choice program
A work benefits program where employees can choose the benefits they want.
Examples
- The company offers a cafeteria plan so workers can choose between more vacation time or better health insurance.
- Under the cafeteria plan, she opted for extra dental coverage.