drawer
Definition
Meaning: A drawer is a sliding storage compartment, often part of a piece of furniture like a desk, chest, or cabinet. It is used to store items and can be pulled out horizontally.
La signification : Un drawer est un tiroir, c’est-à-dire une partie coulissante d’un meuble qui sert à ranger des objets.
Example: "She opened the drawer and took out a pen."
Grammar: Commonly used with the definite article ("the drawer") and with possessives ("my drawer").
Quote: "'Unforgiven' is probably an example of a script that I liked right away but thought, 'This is great, but I'd like to do this when I'm older.' So I stuck it in the drawer for ten years and then took it out." [Clint Eastwood]
Word Analysis
French equivalents »» Tiroir »» Compartiment Ⓐ J’ai mis les clés dans le tiroir. Ⓑ Ce meuble a trois compartiments coulissants. English equivalents »» Compartment »» Storage space »» Tray (in certain contexts) Ⓐ Check the top drawer for the scissors. Ⓑ He keeps all his cables in a desk drawer.
Dialogue
Alex: "Where did you put the tape?"
Sophie: "It's in the top drawer, next to the scissors."
Alex: "Got it, thanks!"
Poem Extract
After the Funeral
We opened closets and bureau drawers
and packed away, in boxes, dresses and shoes,
the silk under things still wrapped in tissue.
We sorted through cedar chests. We gathered
and set aside the keepsakes and the good silver
and brought up from the coal cellar
jars of tomato sauce, peppers, jellied fruit.
We dismantled, we took down from the walls,
we bundled and carted off and swept clean.
Goodbye, goodbye, we said, closing
the door behind us, going our separate ways
from the house we had emptied,
and which, in the coming days, we would fill
again and empty and try to fill again
Peter Everwine
Read the Full Poem
Etymology
Origin: From Middle English drawere, derived from the verb draw + suffix -er, originally meaning "one who draws" (as in drawing out something). Over time, the term came to refer to the sliding compartment that is “drawn out” from a piece of furniture.
Modern Usage: Very common in everyday English, particularly in domestic, office, and retail settings. Used both literally (“a kitchen drawer”) and figuratively (“a top-drawer product”).
Grammar Note: Drawer is a countable noun: one drawer, two drawers. Often used with possessives or adjectives: “my drawer,” “a messy drawer.”
Audience
Drawer is a basic and essential vocabulary word in English, used by speakers of all ages and levels.
When to use: Use this noun to describe a pull-out compartment in furniture or storage units. Example: “The scissors are in the top drawer of the desk.”
Extra! Extra!
For a fun and engaging exploration of our word of the day, watch the following…Top Drawer
How to pronounce 'drawer'
WordReference
For more on idiomatic usage, visit the WordReference Forums for discussions, translations, and examples of "soothe" in context.
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» English⇄English – Discuss and learn about words and their usage.
» English⇄French – Explore translations and linguistic nuances.
» Synonyms⇄Antonyms – Contextual variations, etc.
Common Idioms & Expressions Related to "Drawer"
Top drawer
Of the highest quality or importance.
Example: "She's a top drawer candidate for the position."
Bottom drawer
Items saved for future use, often in preparation for marriage or a new home.
Example: "She's been collecting linens for her bottom drawer."
Out of the drawer
Something that is no longer hidden or unused, brought into action or attention.
Example: "They pulled an old project out of the drawer to revisit it."
Drawer of tricks
A collection of strategies or resources one can rely on.
Example: "He always has a drawer of tricks to solve any problem."
Back in the drawer
To put something aside or abandon it temporarily.
Example: "The plan was put back in the drawer after the budget cuts."
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