soup kitchen

noun

1. a place where food, usually soup, is served at little or no charge to people experiencing food insecurity.
2. Military Slang. (in World War I) a mobile kitchen.

soup kitchen

noun

1. a place or mobile stall where food and drink, esp soup, is served to destitute people
2. military a mobile kitchen

Word History and Origins

Origin of soup kitchen¹

First recorded in 1850–55

Example Sentences

“Every day it’s the same struggle. I go back and forth to the soup kitchen.”

From BBC

Within days, he had the place running as a soup kitchen.

From Los Angeles Times

We are focusing on strengthening existing partnerships with food pantries and soup kitchens operating in these communities.

From Salon

For the city’s newly displaced, life settled into a daily round of picking through donated clothing, volunteering in soup kitchens or weaving camouflage nets, scrolling through messaging apps for word from faraway loved ones.

From Los Angeles Times

Some protesters now run soup kitchens that provide much of the limited aid available in Khartoum.

From New York Times