cabinet Meaning, Definition & Usage

noun a piece of furniture resembling a cupboard with doors and shelves and drawers; for storage or display
noun persons appointed by a head of state to head executive departments of government and act as official advisers
noun a storage compartment for clothes and valuables; usually it has a lock
locker; storage locker.
noun housing for electronic instruments, as radio or television
console.

F., dim. of cabine or cabane. See Cabin, n.

A hut; a cottage; a small house. Obs.
Hearken a while from thy green cabinet, The rural song of careful Colinet. Spenser.
A small room, or retired apartment; a closet.
A private room in which consultations are held.
Philip passed some hours every day in his father's cabinet. Prescott.
The advisory council of the chief executive officer of a nation; a cabinet council. ✍ In England, the cabinet or cabinet council consists of those privy coucilors who actually transact the immediate business of the government. Mozley & W. -- In the United States, the cabinet is composed of the heads of the executive departments of the government, namely, the Secretary of State, of the Treasury, of War, of the Navy, of the Interior, and of Agiculture, the Postmaster-general ,and the Attorney-general.
(a) A set of drawers or a cupboard intended to contain articles of value. Hence: (b) A decorative piece of furniture, whether open like an étagère or closed with doors. See Etagere.
Any building or room set apart for the safe keeping and exhibition of works of art, etc.; also, the collection itself.

Suitable for a cabinet; small.
He [Varnhagen von Ense] is a walking cabinet edition of Goethe. For. Quar. Rev.

imperfect & past participle Cabineted; present participle & verbal noun Cabineting