Clothespress

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A tall cabinet or cupboard, often with shelves and a rail, used for storing folded and hanging garments
2. A piece of furniture with shelves or hooks where clothing is kept neatly and out of sight
3. A storage cupboard in a bedroom or hallway, fitted with shelves and rails for keeping clothes

Etymology: A clothespress is a cupboard for storing clothes, and its name shows its parts plainly: "clothes" plus "press," where "press" once meant a piece of furniture rather than the act of squeezing. That furniture sense is an older English usage, and it is likely tied to the verb "press," since linen was often pressed flat and kept folded under weight in such cupboards. The "press" in the compound comes from Old French "presse," which in turn derives from the Latin "pressa," related to "premere," "to press." Over time the furniture sense gave English a whole family of cabinets, including the linen press and the book press. The compound itself is transparent in construction: it names a cupboard by its contents and its typical use, not by any special technical history.

Synonyms: wardrobe, armoire, closet, cupboard, chiffonier