coat hanger

American  

noun

1. hanger.

---

coat hanger British  

noun

1. a curved piece of wood, wire, plastic, etc, fitted with a hook and used to hang up clothes

---

Etymology

Origin of coat hanger

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

Its included slimline coat hanger kept everything nice and tidy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 13, 2025

And anyone who compares a copper wire with a steel coat hanger will quickly discern that copper is much more pliable than steel.

From Science Daily • May 22, 2024

Think of pulling hard enough on the bottom of the coat hanger that it bends out of shape.

From Scientific American • Feb. 22, 2023

Stacey's bauble wreath can be made by untwisting the top of a wire coat hanger, bending the wire to form a circle and then threading baubles you have on to the wire.

From BBC • Dec. 3, 2022

Each team is given a backpack, a flashlight, a coat hanger, and a crowbar.

From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman