Drawer

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /dɹɔː(ɹ)/

Definitions

1. A compartment that slides in and out of a piece of furniture used for storing items ; an individual who produces a drawing or sketch
2. A retractable box in desks, cabinets, or dressers meant to hold objects ; a person who creates images with pen, pencil, or other tools
3. A storage drawer fitted into furniture for organizing belongings ; someone who makes artistic or technical drawings

Etymology: A drawer is, quite literally, something that draws: the name comes from the verb "draw" in its old sense of pulling, plus the agent suffix "-er," so the word means "one that pulls." The sliding box is named for the action of pulling it out of its housing, not for any container quality. The idea is simple enough that it could have stayed a plain description of a sliding compartment, and English speakers did use the word that way for a long time. The word was first recorded in the 14th century, in Middle English as "drawen" and later "drawer," built directly on "draw" with that same suffix. Its closest counterpart is French "tiroir," which comes from the same notion of drawing out, showing that two neighbouring languages settled on the same metaphor for the same piece of furniture.

Synonyms: box, compartment, case, container, receptacle

Antonyms: opener, lid, opposite, remover, dispenser