warehouses
warehouses — noun
- warehousessingular
- warehousesesplural
1. a big building where products or materials are kept until they are ready to be s
a big building where products or materials are kept until they are ready to be sold, delivered, or used in manufacturing
The furniture company keeps its sofas and tables in a large warehouse near the river.
collocation: furniture warehouse / large warehouse
After arriving at the port, the rice went straight into a cold-storage warehouse to protect it from moisture.
collocation: cold-storage warehouse
The old warehouse in the industrial zone was converted into a modern art gallery.
Fire destroyed a clothing warehouse near the port and caused millions in damage.
collocation: clothing warehouse
- storage warehouse
- cold-storage warehouse
- furniture warehouse
- warehouse worker
- warehouse space
- storage facility
more general; can refer to any place where things are kept, not just a single building
- depot
often implies goods passing through briefly rather than being stored long-term
- storehouse
slightly old-fashioned, emphasises keeping a large supply
Grammar Patterns
a/the + warehouse
Usage Note
Often combined with a noun that names what is stored in it, e.g. furniture warehouse, wine warehouse, or grain warehouse.
Common Mistakes
2. a very large shop that sells a wide range of a particular type of product at pri
a very large shop that sells a wide range of a particular type of product at prices lower than usual because it buys and sells in very large quantities
Anika bought her new laptop at an electronics warehouse for half the usual price.
collocation: electronics warehouse
The furniture warehouse on the highway sells everything from beds to bookshelves at very low prices.
Elena's family shops at the food warehouse once a month to save money on rice, oil, and canned goods.
pattern: [product] + warehouse meaning discount store
Miguel found a good deal on a refrigerator at the appliance warehouse.
collocation: appliance warehouse
- electronics warehouse
- furniture warehouse
- food warehouse
- warehouse club
- warehouse store
- superstore
very similar but emphasises size rather than discount pricing
- outlet
often means a shop run directly by a manufacturer, not just any discount store
- big-box store
informal American English, emphasises the physical size of the building
Grammar Patterns
a/the + [product] + warehouse
Usage Note
This sense refers to a type of shop, not a storage building. The product type is usually named before 'warehouse', as in furniture warehouse or carpet warehouse.
Common Mistakes
3. a prison, hospital, care home, or similar place where large numbers of people ar
a prison, hospital, care home, or similar place where large numbers of people are kept together without receiving proper care, attention, or help to improve their lives
Critics said the overcrowded prison had become a warehouse where inmates received no education or job training.
figurative + disapproving register
The old hospital was described as a warehouse for elderly patients who needed far more care than it could give.
pattern: a warehouse + for + [people]
Migrants were held in a remote warehouse on the edge of town for months without access to legal help.
collocation: human warehouse
- human warehouse
- prison warehouse
- warehouse for patients
- warehouse conditions
- holding facility
more neutral; implies people are there temporarily
- institution
broader and less emotional in tone
- dumping ground
more informal and even harsher in criticism
Grammar Patterns
a/the + warehouse + for + people
Usage Note
Always critical or disapproving. Used figuratively to accuse institutions of treating people like stored objects rather than individuals needing care.
Common Mistakes
❌ 'The new hospital is a modern warehouse for patients.' — This sounds very negative and insulting. Use this sense only when you intend strong criticism.
warehouses — verb
- warehousespresent simple I / you / we / they
- warehouseses3rd person singular
- warehousessing-ing form
- warehousessedpast simple
1. to put and keep products or materials in a large storage building, usually until
to put and keep products or materials in a large storage building, usually until they are sold, delivered, or used later
The toy company warehouses its products in three different cities before the holiday season.
pattern: warehouse + products/goods + location
Clara's job is to check and warehouse the medical supplies that arrive by truck each morning.
Most of the imported electronics are warehoused near the airport so they can be shipped out quickly.
passive: are warehoused
The pharmaceutical firm warehouses its vaccines in temperature-controlled rooms across the country.
collocation: warehouse + vaccines
- warehouse goods
- warehouse products
- warehouse inventory
- warehouse supplies
- store
much more general; can be used for anything kept anywhere
- stock
implies keeping a supply ready for use rather than long-term storage
- keep in storage
a phrase that sounds more natural in everyday English
- distribute
to send goods out rather than keep them in one place
- ship out
to send goods away from a storage location
Grammar Patterns
warehouse + noun phrase
Usage Note
Most commonly used in logistics and supply-chain contexts. Often appears in the passive voice: 'Goods are warehoused until needed.'
Common Mistakes
❌ 'We warehouse the documents in a filing cabinet.' — 'Warehouse' as a verb is only used for large quantities of physical goods, not documents or abstract items.
2. to place people in a prison, hospital, care home, or similar institution without
to place people in a prison, hospital, care home, or similar institution without giving them the care, help, or individual attention they need to improve their situation
The government was criticised for warehousing asylum seekers in crowded camps with no mental health support.
disapproving register: warehousing [people]
For years, children with disabilities were warehoused in institutions instead of being taught in local schools.
passive + disapproving
Noa's grandfather was warehoused in a care home where nurses barely had time to speak to him.
- warehouse prisoners
- warehouse patients
- warehouse the elderly
- warehouse children
- confine
more neutral; just means keeping someone in a limited space
- institutionalise
describes placing someone in an institution long-term, often without the critical tone of 'warehouse'
- integrate
to include people in the community rather than keeping them in an institution
- rehabilitate
to help people return to normal life
Grammar Patterns
warehouse + people + in + place
Usage Note
Strongly critical. This sense compares institutions unfavourably to warehouses for objects, implying the people inside are treated like stored goods rather than individuals.
Common Mistakes
❌ 'The school warehouses students in large classrooms.' — This would be very insulting to a school. Only use this verb for places that truly fail to provide proper care.
Common collocations
Etymology
First known use
14th century
14th century, in the meaning defined above Verb