cup ‧ board S2 /ˈkʌbəd $ -ərd/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Date: 1500-1600 ; Origin: cupboard 'shelf or table for cups' (14-18 centuries) ]
1 . a piece of furniture with doors, and sometimes shelves, used for storing clothes, plates, food etc ⇨ closet , wardrobe , cabinet :
It’s in the kitchen cupboard.
The cupboard doors were open.
2 . the cupboard is bare used to say that there is no money etc left that can be used:
The workers have been told not to expect a pay rise because the cupboard is bare.
⇨ ↑ airing cupboard , ⇨ skeleton in the cupboard at ↑ skeleton (5)
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COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 1 )
■ types of cupboard
▪ a kitchen cupboard
The kitchen cupboards were empty.
▪ a bathroom/hall/bedroom cupboard British English
Your boots are in the hall cupboard.
▪ a built-in/fitted cupboard British English (=ones that are there permanently and cannot be moved)
The kitchen has built-in cupboards.
▪ a wall cupboard British English (=fixed to the wall, not on the floor)
Wall cupboards provide extra storage in the garage.
▪ a storage cupboard British English (=for storing things)
There's a storage cupboard under the stairs.
▪ a food/medicine/clothes cupboard British English
The medicine cupboard's in the bathroom.
▪ a drinks cupboard British English (=for drinks, especially alcoholic ones)
He went to the drinks cupboard and poured a whisky.
▪ an airing cupboard British English (=a warm cupboard for sheets and towels)
▪ a linen cupboard British English (=for sheets and towels)
▪ a broom cupboard (=for brushes and other things you use to clean the house)
▪ a bedside cupboard British English (=a small cupboard beside a bed)