store
Americannoun
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an establishment where merchandise is sold, usually on a retail basis.
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a grocery.
We need bread and milk from the store.
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a stall, room, floor, or building housing or suitable for housing a retail business.
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a supply or stock of something, especially one for future use.
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stores, supplies of food, clothing, or other requisites, as for a household, inn, or naval or military forces.
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Chiefly British. a storehouse or warehouse.
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quantity, especially great quantity; abundance, or plenty.
a rich store of grain.
verb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
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to take in or hold supplies, goods, or articles, as for future use.
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to remain fresh and usable for considerable time on being stored.
Flour stores well.
adjective
idioms
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in store,
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in readiness or reserve.
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about to happen; imminent.
There is a great deal of trouble in store for them if they persist in their ways.
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set / lay store by, to have high regard for; value; esteem.
She sets great store by good character.
verb
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(tr) to keep, set aside, or accumulate for future use
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(tr) to place in a warehouse, depository, etc, for safekeeping
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(tr) to supply, provide, or stock
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(intr) to be put into storage
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computing to enter or retain (information) in a storage device
noun
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an establishment for the retail sale of goods and services
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( in combination )
storefront
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a large supply or stock kept for future use
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( as modifier )
store ship
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short for department store
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a storage place such as a warehouse or depository
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( in combination )
storeman
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the state of being stored (esp in the phrase in store )
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a large amount or quantity
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computing another name for memory
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Also called: store pig. a pig that has not yet been weaned and weighs less than 40 kg
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an animal bought lean to be fattened up for market
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( as modifier )
store cattle
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forthcoming or imminent
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to value or reckon as important
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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has storedperfect 3rd person singular
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have storedperfect
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is storingprogressive 3rd person singular
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have been storingperfect progressive
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am storingprogressive 1st person singular
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has been storingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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are storingprogressive
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storingparticiple
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storessingular 3rd person
Past
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had storedperfect
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was storingprogressive singular
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had been storingperfect progressive
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were storingprogressive plural
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storedparticiple
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storedsimple
Future
Etymology
Origin of store
First recorded in 1225–75; Middle English verb storen, shortening of astoren, from Old French estorer, from Latin instaurāre “to repeat, start over, set up,” equivalent to in- intensive prefix + combining form staur- (akin to Greek staurós “pole, cross” and Old Norse staurr “pole”) + -āre infinitive suffix; noun derived from the verb; see origin at in- 2, steer 1, restore
Explanation
As the sentence "This store stores a large store of rubber ducks" will tell you, store is a word with a lot of definitions. Among these are "a place that sells items," "the act of keeping things for future use," and "a supply of something." As a noun, store often refers to a place where things are sold, such as an electronics store. This meaning of the word likely sprang up from the original meaning, "a supply of something kept for future use." As a verb, store refers to the act of putting things away for later. Chipmunks store nuts in their cheeks, people store their winter clothes when springtime arrives, and techies store information on backup drives.
Vocabulary lists containing store
The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 4
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The New SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The ACT Reading Test: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 4
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
At the store level, some workers said the company has pushed them to sell more popular retail items like squeezy children’s toys, along with drinks and take-home meals.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026
Back in New York City, an upmarket candy store company called BonBon now has five shops across Manhattan and Brooklyn, and another in the Hamptons on Long Island that opened last summer.
From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026
“Somebody said they rode in and out of the store, almost hitting people,” Gwisdalla said.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2026
KFC, meanwhile, continues to expand in international markets, growing store units by 7%.
From Barron's • Jun. 10, 2026
In the months since we’d arrived, Ba had taken inventory, cleaned and polished every item, and done everything he could think of to turn the store around.
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
