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drawer

nounnouncommon in dialogue

  • United Kingdom//dɹɔː(ɹ)//
  • United Kingdom//ˈdɹɔː.ə(ɹ)//
  • United States//dɹɔɹ//

An open-topped box that can be slid in and out of the cabinet that contains it, used for storing clothing or other articles.

noun

  1. 1

    An open-topped box that can be slid in and out of the cabinet that contains it, used for storing clothing or other articles.

    He knelt down and began shoving the drawer into the slot; the rail was misaligned so he banged it with the heel of his hand. It stuck.

  2. 2

    A side panel containing supplementary content.

  3. 3

    Also a form of drawersAttributive form of drawers.

    The step-ins are of two sorts; the knicker combination with open bloomer and chemise top; and circular drawer style, with chemise top and gussets at back and front that give extra width at the bottom.

    Customers in the underwear department at MacDougal-Southwick’s, on the other hand, have evinced quite an interest in the French drawer style, with binding in contrasting color and the separate vests also bound in the contrasting color.

    Today men of every age are turning to the athletic pull-over shirt and drawer type of underwear.

    Men’s Balbriggan Shirts and Drawers / 50ᶜ ea. / For the man who wants the shirt-and-drawer type of underwear but, naturally, wants lightweight now.

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *dʰregʰ- Proto-Indo-European *dʰrógʰ-e-ti Proto-Germanic *draganą Proto-West Germanic *dragan Old English dragan Middle English drawen English draw Proto-Indo-European *-yósder. Proto-Italic *-āzios Latin -āriusnom. Latin -āriusbor. Proto-Germanic *-ārijaz Proto-West Germanic *-ārī Old English -ere Middle English -ere English -er English drawer From draw (“to move by pulling”) + -er; compare French tiroir. Attested from the 16th century.

noun

  1. 1

    An artist who primarily makes drawings.

  2. 2

    One who writes a bank draft, check/cheque, or promissory note.

    There is no doubt that the stipulation of nonguarantee of an acceptance inserted in a bill of exchange by the drawer has the effect of excluding the liability of guarantee for the indorsers as well as for the drawer.

  3. 3

    A barman; a person who draws the beer from the taps.

    When the good lieutenant applied himself to the door, he applied himself likewise to the bell; and the drawer immediately attending, he dispatched him for a file of musqueteers and a surgeon.

    He came down to the Pied Horse Inn, where I was a drawer, at Newmarket, twice.

  4. 4

    Someone who taps palm sap for making toddy.

    A turban and loincloth soaked in blood had been found; also a staff. These properties were known to have belonged to a toddy drawer. He had disappeared.

  5. 5

    historicalA wagoner or person who pushes underground tubs.

  6. 6

    Also a form of drawAgent noun of draw; one who draws.

    Lawyers for Mr. Abbott argued that the maps were drawn to help Republicans maintain power but not to discriminate, and that drawers did not know where district offices were located.

    Wanted: discreet drawer of royal bath [title] ... [T]he successful applicant for the role of "housekeeping assistant" mus also be prepared for rather less conventional tasks; such as running the Queen's bath and cleaning her priceless antiques.

Etymology

From Middle English drawer, from draw + -er (agent noun suffix). Attested from the 14th century.

Forms

plural
drawers
The neighbouring pagesAlphabetical order follows the rules of the language, not byte values: an accent decides only between two otherwise identical words, and Spanish files Ñ as a letter of its own.

Lexical content from Wiktionary, under CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source entry · Data version 2026-08-23

Rank among the words of the OpenSubtitles 2018 corpus — film and television subtitles, so spoken rather than written usage (CC BY-SA 3.0).