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hope chest

American

noun

(especially formerly) a chest or the like in which a young woman collected clothing, linens, and other articles in anticipation of marriage.

hope chest British

noun

Also called (esp in Britain): bottom drawer. a young woman's collection of clothes, linen, cutlery, etc, in anticipation of marriage

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of hope chest

First recorded in 1910–15

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

I’ve been fortunate to have been given a beloved hope chest and dining room pieces used by my great-grandparents, and I love them more every year.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 13, 2023

My mother was thrilled and began filling a series of plastic bins with cookware and china as a sort of modern-day hope chest.

From Salon • Feb. 12, 2023

The dowry was replaced with a marriage chest, also known as a trousseau or hope chest.

From Washington Post • May 18, 2022

Check out Tuesday’s trivia quiz, where the theme is hope chest.

From Slate • Feb. 25, 2022

She did her hope chest already, so she can.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023