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Synonyms

armoire

American  
[ahrm-wahr, ahrm-wahr] / ɑrmˈwɑr, ˈɑrm wɑr /

noun

  • armoires
    plural
  1. a large wardrobe or movable cupboard, with doors and shelves.


armoire British  
/ ɑːmˈwɑː /

noun

  1. a large cabinet, originally used for storing weapons

"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

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of armoire

First recorded in 1565–75; from Middle French; Old French blend of armaire and aumoire; see aumbry

Explanation

An armoire is a kind of wardrobe or freestanding closet. You can hang your clothes on hangers in an armoire, or put your folded sweaters on its shelves. These days, most armoires are antiques, tall movable cabinets made of wood that hold clothing. It was once less common for houses to be built with closets, and armoires gave people a place to store things out of sight. Armoire is a French word, from the Old French armarie, "cupboard or bookcase," with its Latin root armarium, "closet for storing implements or tools."

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Vocabulary lists containing armoire

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.

See Examples For:

Soon after, Greene’s work filled nearly every room of his former Rancho Palos Verdes home: lamps, shelves, an altar, an armoire adorned with a lotus flower.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 21, 2025

Other designers have used solutions both simple and elaborate — putting a TV inside an armoire, for instance, or installing a retractable under-bed lift.

From Seattle Times Feb. 12, 2024

This Instagrammer uses an armoire in the hallway to store sheets, and we love that the see-through doors give you a peek at all the pretty patterns inside.

From Salon Aug. 6, 2022

The bathroom armoire — which could hold the bedding of a smallish boutique hotel — is a lesson in decluttering.

From New York Times Jun. 2, 2022

She found a few more rosebud chocolates and a tiny golden key like the one from the armoire.

From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull

If, as the New York Times’ Amanda Hess argues, we live in the “golden age of celebrity branding,” liquor is the filigree on its balustrades, the inlay on its armoires, the leaf on its chandeliers.

From Los Angeles Times Apr. 12, 2023

They also recline on couches in the main hall, sit around the grand dining table and peek into kitchen cabinets and teak armoires.

From New York Times Jul. 10, 2022

Gomez recommends doing the same at home, making sure to dust behind beds, sofas, curtains and any large armoires or case pieces.

From Seattle Times Apr. 7, 2021

For homes, Gomez says to do the same, making sure to dust behind beds, sofas, curtains and any large armoires or case pieces.

From Washington Post Mar. 23, 2021

Behind him, confiscated treasures are crammed to the ceiling: rolled tapestries, grandfather clocks, armoires, and giant landscape paintings crazed with cracks.

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr

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