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Synonyms

clotheshorse

American  
[klohz-hawrs, klohthz-] / ˈkloʊzˌhɔrs, ˈkloʊðz- /

noun

  1. Informal. a person whose chief interest and pleasure is dressing fashionably.

  2. a frame on which to hang wet laundry for drying.


clotheshorse British  
/ ˈkləʊðzˌhɔːs /

noun

  1. a frame on which to hang laundry for drying or airing

  2. informal a dandy

"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 clotheshorse

First recorded in 1765–75; clothes + horse

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:

As flattering as that pale purple may be on her, she’s much happier to let her guests’ ensembles, especially noted clotheshorse Kim, in a sweeping chiffon skirt and little white gloves, provide the fashion credentials.

From Washington Post Apr. 26, 2023

Sure, John David Washington’s wardrobe filled this clotheshorse with envy, but the awe I felt at the visual spectacle of Inception is completely missing here.

From Slate Dec. 28, 2020

She relished the glamorous side of publishing and, like her husband, became a clotheshorse, wearing Dior, Chanel, Schiaparelli; she grew her red-painted fingernails so long that they resembled talons.

From The New Yorker Apr. 11, 2016

Finally, and perhaps most significantly, one of Mr. Cook’s fiercest competitors, Satya Nadella, the newish chief executive of Microsoft, is also proving something of an uncharacteristic clotheshorse.

From New York Times Oct. 15, 2014

The clotheshorse collapsed under the weight of the stupid beast, sending angry cat and white linen into the red dust.

From "Fever 1793" by Laurie Halse Anderson

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