Hatchecks

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A small slip or tag issued to identify an article of clothing, particularly headwear, that is checked or stored temporarily
2. A means of keeping track of personalized items that are relinquished to the custody of a venue
3. A management tool for ensuring the return of hats or similar items after being checked in at events or establishments

Etymology: "Hatchecks" is simply the plural of "hatcheck", a noun for the numbered ticket handed over when you leave a hat at a cloakroom. The compound is plain: "hat" plus "check," in its older sense of a token or ticket that proves a claim, the same sense that gives us a baggage check or a coat check. The term appears in print in 1914–1915, when cloakroom service in restaurants, theatres and hotels was becoming common enough to need its own vocabulary.

Synonyms: coat checks, cloakroom tickets