ENGLISH
REFERENCE

drawer

n.
US //ˈdɹɔɹ// draw·er
  1. 1 furniture compartment (n.)
    A2 Elementary

    a box-shaped container that slides in and out of a desk or cupboard.

    a sliding, open-topped compartment within a piece of furniture, used for storage.

    Example

    He kept his passport in the top drawer of the wooden desk.

    Example

    The antique dresser featured a hidden drawer behind the central panel, designed to secure valuable documents from casual observers.
    Pitfall
    I put the socks in the drawers.
    I put the socks in the drawer.

    Use the singular 'drawer' for one compartment. The plural 'drawers' usually refers to multiple compartments or, informally, to underwear.

  2. 2 an artist (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    a person who draws pictures or sketches.

    an agent noun for one who produces drawings, sketches, or diagrams.

    Example

    She is a talented drawer who can capture a person's face in minutes.

    Example

    While he was a master of oil painting, he considered himself first and foremost a drawer, obsessed with the precision of graphite on paper.
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  1. 3 financial issuer (n.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Formal Law

    the person who writes a cheque or a bank document.

    the party that issues or signs a bill of exchange, cheque, or draft, instructing a second party to pay a sum.

    Example

    The bank refused to process the cheque because the drawer had not signed it.

    Example

    In commercial law, the drawer remains liable for the amount of the draft if the drawee fails to honour the payment upon presentation.
    • drawee
  2. 4 tap worker (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Archaic

    a person who pours drinks from a barrel or tap in a pub.

    a person employed to draw liquors from a cask or tap; a tapster.

    Example

    The drawer hurried to fill the empty mugs as the tavern grew crowded.

    Example

    In the historical novel, the drawer was depicted as a weary youth constantly running between the cellar barrels and the thirsty patrons upstairs.
  3. 5 mining worker (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Archaic Technical Science

    a person who pushed heavy tubs of coal in old mines.

    a worker responsible for pushing or pulling tubs of coal or ore along underground tracks.

    Example

    Life was difficult for a drawer working in the narrow tunnels of the coal mine.

    Example

    Nineteenth-century mining records detail the gruelling labour of the drawer, who moved heavy loads through passages too low for ponies.
    • wagoner
    • hauler
Etymology 1

From draw (“to move by pulling”) + -er; compare French tiroir. Attested from the 16th century.

Etymology 2

From Middle English drawer, from draw + -er (agent noun suffix). Attested from the 14th century.

Idioms2 entries

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