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 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; see draw, -er ¹

Explanation

A drawer is a sliding compartment that fits into a dresser and is used for storage. You might keep socks in one drawer and t-shirts in another. Dressers have drawers, and so do other pieces of furniture, including desks, bureaus, and kitchen cabinets. Your kitchen drawers might be full of silverware, while the drawers in your office are a jumble of pens, paper clips, and Post-It notes. Drawer comes from the verb draw, from its "pull" meaning — the original idea of the word was that it's a container that's "drawn" out of a cabinet.

Example Sentences

Ineos stated Thomas "will work closely with Sir Dave Brailsford, Dr Scott Drawer - and the rest of the senior management team, providing crucial input into race strategy, rider recruitment, development and race readiness".

From BBC • Nov. 27, 2025

Drawer slides come in a bewildering array of styles, with some mounting on the sides of the drawer, others on the bottom side edges and others under the drawer, at the center.

From Washington Post • Feb. 10, 2023

Midfielder Croix Bethune, named the best player in the country by Top Drawer Soccer, scored a team-high 16 of those goals in 2021 and is the only USC player on the Hermann watch list.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 24, 2022

Top Drawer Soccer has some rankings for upcoming prospects from the area.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 17, 2011

Drawer after drawer, hanger after hanger, I filled up my dresser and my closet with new clothes that fit.

From "Tangerine" by Edward Bloor