cloakroom

American  

[klohk-room, -room] / ˈkloʊkˌrum, -ˌrʊm /

noun

1. a room in which outer garments, hats, umbrellas, etc., may be left temporarily, as in a club, restaurant, etc.; checkroom.

2. a room adjacent to a legislative chamber or legislative room, where legislators may leave their coats, relax, or engage in informal conversation.

3. British.

   1. a bathroom; a public restroom.

   2. a baggage room, as at a railway station, where packages and luggage may be left temporarily or checked through to one's destination.

---

cloakroom British  

/ -ˌrʊm, ˈkləʊkˌruːm /

noun

1. a room in which hats, coats, luggage, etc, may be temporarily deposited

2. a euphemistic word for lavatory

---

Etymology

Origin of cloakroom

First recorded in 1850–55; cloak + room

Example Sentences

The leader should function as a player-manager who can be trusted to deliver on the Senate floor and in the cloakroom.

From Salon • Nov. 11, 2025

Also worth noting: Rose added a toilet and a small cloakroom basin by Thomas Crapper & Co. to add a bit of whimsy to the washroom.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2025

Mr Mills has submitted a planning application to Sheffield City Council to demolish a toilet block and another area of the building which houses a cloakroom and fire exits.

From BBC • Dec. 18, 2024

When she walked into the cloakroom that day, she overheard “members comparing stories of how I got their votes. Some with humor”—as was the case with Donnelly’s—and “some not.”

From Slate • Aug. 19, 2024

Once Karl tucked fliers into coat pockets in a cloakroom.

From "The Boy Who Dared" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti