bottom drawer

American

[drawr] / drɔr /

noun

British.

any drawer used for a hope chest.

bottom drawer British

noun

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.

See Examples For:

bottom drawer

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 ● Feb. 7, 2024

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

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2023

“I went to my bottom drawer, found this number that I’d always liked, and played it to myself,” he said.

From New York Times ● Jul. 14, 2022

When Abigail Echo-Hawk first started her job as director of the Urban Indian Health Institute, she felt compelled to open the bottom drawer of a file cabinet in the corner of her office.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 23, 2018

I try to pull out the bottom drawer and it refuses to budge.

From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland

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