Closet

[ROBINDESBOIS]

There are different words for armario in English:
Cupboard
Wardrobe
Cabinet
Closet
Cupboard is used to store kitchen things
Wardrove to keep clothes
Cabinet is in the bathroom
Closet is American English for wardrobe I guess. Though I saw in a dictionary that closet can replace every word is that true?

[Perikles]

There are different words for armario in English:
Cupboard
Wardrobe
Cabinet
Closet
Cupboard is used to store kitchen things
Wardrove to keep clothes
Cabinet is in the bathroom
Closet is American English for wardrobe I guess. Though I saw in a dictionary that closet can replace every word is that true?Theoretically, but I would avoid the word 'closet' because there are so many regional variations (certainly in the UK) that it is never clear what is meant. I understood that AmE closet was the place where everything was kept which you thought was a good idea at the time, but never use, like skateboards, baseball bats, iceskates. I don't think BrE uses closet in that sense. And you forgot the Water Closet = W.C. = toilet/inodoro

By the way - a wardrobe is specifically for clothes - that's where you ward your robes. :)

[Rusty]

In the U.S., we use all these words. The word 'closet' is not a blanket word for them all, however.

A 'wardrobe' is a piece of furniture where clothes are stored. It is usually a tall, upright case with a door or a double door. Inside there are hooks, shelves and a pole on which hangers may rest. A 'wardrobe' also describes a room or area where clothes are stored. Not everybody owns a 'wardrobe' and only upper-income families would have a room for storing clothes.

All houses have many 'closets'. A proper bedroom has at least one closet. It may or may not have a door. There is usually an upper shelf. Under it there is usually a pole that holds the hangers that hold the clothes. There may be hooks and built-in drawers. There may be special shelves for holding shoes. And, yes, this is also the place for skateboards, et al.
'Closets' are found in hallways. These generally have a door. Linens are stored in a 'linen closet'. Coats are often stored in a 'coat closet' in a hall.
'Closets' that contain shelving are often found off of larger rooms, like a game room or family room. These are used to store games, folding tables, mops, brooms, vacuum cleaners, etc. These are often termed 'utility closets' or 'storage closets'. Sometimes we choose a name like 'broom closet', although there are usually other items inside besides the broom.

A 'cabinet' can be a piece of furniture that contains shelves for holding or displaying items. If the cabinet is used for display of knick-knacks, it's often called a curio. If china is stored in the cabinet, it's called a 'china cabinet' or 'china hutch'.
A 'cabinet' can also be permanently attached to a wall, say in a kitchen, a garage, or in some of the larger rooms. It contains shelves and may have some drawers. It often has a door, or double doors. This is where pots, pans, eating utensils, tools, cleaning supplies, etc. are stored. In the kitchen, a 'cabinet' is sometimes called a 'cupboard'.

A 'cupboard' is shelving mostly found in a kitchen, above the countertop. This is where glasses, cups, spices, cooking items, baking items, etc. are stored. Some food may be stored in a 'cupboard', but many people have a 'pantry' for that. This is usually a tall closet, most often with a door or double doors. Some people have a room that is off the kitchen for the storage of food. This is also called a 'pantry'.

'Wardrobe' and 'closet' could refer to the same thing in America. A 'cabinet' may sparingly be called a 'closet'. A 'cabinet' that is under a countertop in a kitchen may be called a 'cupboard'. A 'cupboard' (above a countertop) is never called a 'closet', but could be called a 'cabinet'.

In America, we never call the toilet a 'water closet'.

[wrholt]

In the US, "closet" is the most generic name for a a small, usually windowless, floor-to-ceiling room or alcove that usually has a door that closes and which is most suitable for storing things when they are not being used. The dimensions of the room, the fittings built inside the room, and its location within a residence affect what we store inside it and may affect what name we give it.

*Edit* Ah, Rusty beat me to a more complete (and accurate) answer.

As an example: I live in a 6 room/1 bathroom single-family house:

1. The front door enters directly into the living room, which has a coat closet (one horizontal pole, and some hooks) beside the staircase to the second floor.
2. The dining room has a built-in china cabinet: the bottom half has a solid door and two shelves for hiding things, the top half has 2 glass-panel doors and several shelves, so that one can display what is inside.
3. The kitchen has a countertop along one wall sitting on top of floor cabinets. Each cabinet has a door on the front. Except for beneath the sink each cabinet has a pull-out drawer between the cabinet and the countertop. The kitchen also has wall cupboards above the cabinets. My house does not have a pantry.
4. The 4th room on the first floor is a small sunroom:
5. The 3 bedrooms upstairs each have a clothes closet: each one has 1 or 2 horizontal poles and a shelf above the pole.
6. Next to the bathroom door is a linen closet: it has 4 shelves that competely fill the inside of the closet.
7. Inside the bathroom there is a cabinet underneath the sink, and a cupboard above the sink whose door is a mirror.

[ROBINDESBOIS]

Thanks, good explanation.