What does larder mean?
A larder is a cool room or storage space used for keeping food, particularly meat, dairy products, preserves, and other provisions. The word can also refer to the food kept in such a place: a household might boast of a well-stocked larder or survive a winter by living from it. In contemporary British, Irish, Australian, and New Zealand English, “larder” is formal and carries historical associations with large country houses, stone storage rooms, curing, and preserving. Elsewhere, especially in the United States, it sounds old-fashioned or literary, and “pantry” is usually preferred. Although a larder once served much the same practical purpose as a modern refrigerator, it generally had no powered cooling mechanism; cool ventilation, thick walls, and carefully arranged stores helped keep provisions from spoiling.
nounA room or storage space where food, especially meat and other provisions, is kept. By extension, the word can mean a stock of food or provisions.
- A room or building used to store food, especially meat.
- A stock or supply of food kept for use.
"The old stone larder, cool and dim, was lined with shelves of preserves and hanging sausages."
"The kitchen opened into a cool larder stocked with cheese, eggs, and preserves."
"The family survived the winter by drawing carefully from its larder."
The plural is used when referring to multiple food-storage rooms or collections of provisions.
"The old farmhouses still have their own private larders."
Once a larder was a food-production stronghold: cool rooms, hanging meat, and carefully preserved provisions helped households survive before modern refrigeration.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does larder come from?
The word comes through Anglo-French from a Medieval Latin word meaning a place for storing lard or other preserved meats. Its ultimate connection is with Latin lardum, meaning pig fat or bacon, which reflects the larder’s original role in preserving meat. The modern sense gradually broadened from a specialized meat store to a general food-storage room and, figuratively, a supply of provisions.
Related word forms
How larder is actually used
The word is formal and somewhat old-fashioned in modern English, especially outside Britain, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand. It can sound evocative or literary, while “pantry” is the more common everyday term.
Easily confused with larder
A larder is a place where food is stored, whereas a pantry is also commonly used for shelves or cupboards containing food and household supplies.
A larder stores food, while a launder is a room or building for washing clothes.