drawer

American  

[drawr, draw-er] / drɔr, ˈdrɔ ər /

noun

1. a sliding, lidless, horizontal compartment, as in a piece of furniture, that may be drawn draw out in order to gain access to it.

2. (used with a plural verb) drawers, an undergarment, with legs, that covers the lower part of the body.

3. a person or thing that draws.

4. Finance. a person who draws an order, draft, or bill of exchange.

5. Metalworking. a person who operates a drawbench.

6. a tapster.

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drawer British  

/ ˈdrɔːə /

noun

1. a person or thing that draws, esp a draughtsman

2. a person who draws a cheque See draw

3. a person who draws up a commercial paper

4. archaic a person who draws beer, etc, in a bar

5. a boxlike container in a chest, table, etc, made for sliding in and out

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drawer Idioms  

1. see top drawer.

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Other Word Forms

• predrawer noun
• redrawer noun

Etymology

Origin of drawer

1300–50, 1580–90 drawer for def. 1, 1560–70 drawer for def. 2; Middle English; draw, -er ¹

Example Sentences

It had been tucked away in a museum drawer for decades as it was thought to have been an unremarkable specimen.

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026

Grace reached into a drawer, grabbed a fistful of Ugandan shilling notes, and handed over the cash.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 22, 2026

There’s no reaching past something sticky or spoiled, no quiet dread lurking in the crisper drawer.

From Salon • Mar. 19, 2026

As for this $150,000: It’s better off in your bank account than in a drawer.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 26, 2026

Except – I wiggled and jiggled the drawer like we’d done the other day and then – yes, it was there.

From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler