Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

bottom drawer

American  
[drawr] / drɔr /

noun

British.
  1. any drawer used for a hope chest.


bottom drawer British  

noun

  1. US and Canadian equivalent: hope chest.  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 bottom drawer

First recorded in 1885–90

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 don't want it to be a doorstop or in the bottom drawer, I want it to be on the mantelpiece."

From BBC

There’s a long list of racist stereotypes white people fish out of the bottom drawer to slander Black people, and in her post Swiatkowski throws out a few of them.

From Salon

Mr Brettell said the ancient citrus fruit was discovered in the bottom drawer of a 19th century chest salvaged during a house clearance.

From BBC

The bottom drawer is for protein, which is good to put on the bottom because if anything drips it’s not going to cross-contaminate anything.

From Los Angeles Times

The left of the bottom drawer is all cheese and dairy.

From Los Angeles Times