canteen

[Bailey]

can·teen (kn-tn)
n.
1.
a. A snack bar or small cafeteria, as on a military installation.
b. A recreational facility, bar, or small general store formerly established for the patronage of soldiers.
2. A recreation hall or social club where refreshments are available.
3. A temporary or mobile eating place, especially one set up in an emergency.
4. A flask for carrying drinking water, as on a hike.
5.
a. A box with compartments for carrying cooking gear and eating utensils.
b. A soldier's mess kit.
6. Chiefly British A box used to store silverware.



[French cantine, from Italian cantina, wine cellar.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

mark canteen-hopping-not-quite-pub-hopping Bailey

[Perry]

5a, 5b and 6 were new to me.

5b is also known as a mess tin, which led them to be called in the Israeli army messting. An expression for showing how close two people were is, "they ate out of the same messting".