Meanings
plural food banks · alternative foodbank
- A charitable nonprofit organization that distributes mostly donated food to a wide variety of agencies to those who have difficulty purchasing enough to avoid hunger.
Five Greater Anglia stations will become food bank collection points again until December 12, thanks to an initiative by ticket office clerk Michael King.
2022 November 16, “News in Brief: Help for food banks”, in RAIL, number 970, page 241 more example
Food banks are large warehouses or distribution centers that supply local storefronts known as food pantries, but also hand food directly to some individuals. They are a relatively recent feature of American life.
2020 April 8, Nicholas Kulish, “‘Never Seen Anything Like It’: Cars Line Up for Miles at Food Banks”, in New York Times
Translations
Catalan banc d'aliments
- banc d'alimentsa non-profit, charitable organization that distributes food to feed the hungry
Chinese Cantonese 食物銀行 /食物银行, 食物賙濟庫 /食物赒济库
- 食物銀行 /食物银行 (sik⁶ mat⁶ ngan⁴ hong⁴)a non-profit, charitable organization that distributes food to feed the hungry
- 食物賙濟庫 /食物赒济库 (sik⁶ mat⁶ zau¹ zai³ fu³)a non-profit, charitable organization that distributes food to feed the hungry
Chinese Mandarin 食物銀行 /食物银行, 食物賙濟庫 /食物赒济库
- 食物銀行 /食物银行 (shíwù yínháng)a non-profit, charitable organization that distributes food to feed the hungry
- 食物賙濟庫 /食物赒济库 (shíwù zhōujìkù)a non-profit, charitable organization that distributes food to feed the hungry
- 食品銀行 /食品银行a non-profit, charitable organization that distributes food to feed the hungry
Danish fødevarebank
- fødevarebanka non-profit, charitable organization that distributes food to feed the hungry
Dutch voedselbank
- voedselbanka non-profit, charitable organization that distributes food to feed the hungry
Finnish ruokapankki
- ruokapankkia non-profit, charitable organization that distributes food to feed the hungry
French banque alimentaire
- banque alimentairea non-profit, charitable organization that distributes food to feed the hungry
German Tafel
- Tafela non-profit, charitable organization that distributes food to feed the hungry
Hebrew בנק מזון
- בנק מזון (bank mazón)a non-profit, charitable organization that distributes food to feed the hungry
Irish banc bia
- banc biaa non-profit, charitable organization that distributes food to feed the hungry
Italian banco alimentare
- banco alimentarea non-profit, charitable organization that distributes food to feed the hungry
Malay bank makanan
- bank makanana non-profit, charitable organization that distributes food to feed the hungry
Norwegian Bokmål matsentral
- matsentrala non-profit, charitable organization that distributes food to feed the hungry
Polish bank żywności
- bank żywnościa non-profit, charitable organization that distributes food to feed the hungry
Portuguese banco alimentar, banco de alimentos
- banco alimentara non-profit, charitable organization that distributes food to feed the hungry
- banco de alimentosa non-profit, charitable organization that distributes food to feed the hungry
Russian пищево́й банк
- пищево́й банк (piščevój bank)a non-profit, charitable organization that distributes food to feed the hungry
Spanish banco de alimentos
- banco de alimentosa non-profit, charitable organization that distributes food to feed the hungry
Swedish matbank
- matbanka non-profit, charitable organization that distributes food to feed the hungry
Cite this entry
food bank. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/food%20bank
“food bank.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/food%20bank. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “food bank,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/food%20bank.
Source: food bank on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.