wine-cellar
Definition
- Noun:
- A storage space for wine: "wine-cellar" refers to a room or underground chamber specifically designed for storing wine in controlled conditions, such as stable temperature and humidity.
- A collection of wines: It can also mean the entire stock or collection of wines owned by an individual or establishment, often implying quality or variety.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- The restaurant's wine-cellar is stocked with bottles from around the world. (A storage room for wine.)
- He has an impressive wine-cellar, with over a thousand bottles. (A collection of wines.)
Advanced Usage
"to have a wine-cellar": to own a dedicated storage space or collection of wines.
- She built a wine-cellar under her house to keep her prized vintages safe. (Constructed a room for wine storage.)
"to raid the wine-cellar": to select and remove bottles from one's wine collection, often for a special occasion.
- For the anniversary dinner, they decided to raid the wine-cellar for a rare Bordeaux. (Chose a bottle from the collection.)
Variants and Related Words
Cellar (n): a room below ground level in a house, often used for storage.
- The cellar is cool and dark, perfect for storing potatoes. (An underground storage room.)
Wine (n): an alcoholic drink made from fermented grapes or other fruits.
- She prefers red wine with her steak. (The drink itself.)
Synonyms
- Wine vault: a secure underground chamber for storing wine.
- Wine store: a commercial establishment or room for keeping wine, though less specific to underground storage.
Related Idioms
- Wine-cellar does not commonly appear in idioms, but related phrases include:
- "A wine-cellar of knowledge" (rare, metaphorical): a vast and deep collection of information.
- His mind is a wine-cellar of historical facts. (A rich store of knowledge.)
Notes
- The word "wine-cellar" is often hyphenated, but in modern usage, it may appear as "wine cellar" (two words). Both forms are acceptable, with the hyphenated version emphasizing the compound nature.