Cloakroom

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈkləʊkɹʊm/

Definitions

1. A room where visitors can leave their coats, hats, or personal items temporarily for safekeeping
2. A designated area in a public venue used for hanging or storing outerwear and small possessions during an event
3. A facility found in places like theaters or restaurants where guests deposit their outer garments and items while attending

Etymology: "Cloakroom" is a plain compound: "cloak" joined to "room", the room where cloaks were left. Cloak itself came into English from Old French and Anglo-Norman "cloke" in the Middle Ages, and by the time the compound formed, a cloak was a loose outer garment worn over other clothes, so a room set aside to hold them was a practical necessity in halls, theatres and churches. The word's sense has quietly widened. Originally it referred to a room for cloaks specifically, and it now covers any checked storage of coats, hats, umbrellas and bags at a venue. In British usage it is also a polite euphemism for a lavatory, a sense that developed from the room where guests left their outer things and then came to stand for the facilities nearby.

Synonyms: changing room, locker room