English Reference

Word

drawer

Phoneticsdraw·er

/ˈdɹɔɹ/

Definitions

01furniture compartment

A2 · Elementary Countable noun

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

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

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

“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.

Synonyms

02an artist

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun

n. a person who draws pictures or sketches.

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

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

“While he was a master of oil painting, he considered himself first and foremost a drawer, obsessed with the precision of graphite on paper.”

Synonyms

03financial issuer

C1 · Advanced Countable noun Law Technical · Formal

n. the person who writes a cheque or a bank document.

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

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

“In commercial law, the drawer remains liable for the amount of the draft if the drawee fails to honour the payment upon presentation.”

Synonyms

Antonyms

drawee

04tap worker

C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Archaic

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

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

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

“In the historical novel, the drawer was depicted as a weary youth constantly running between the cellar barrels and the thirsty patrons upstairs.”

Synonyms

tapsterbarman

05mining worker

C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Science Archaic · Technical

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

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

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

“Nineteenth-century mining records detail the gruelling labour of the drawer, who moved heavy loads through passages too low for ponies.”

Synonyms

wagonerhauler

Etymology

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

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

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Word family

NOUN

drawer(A2)

Idioms

Domain

Mining

This entry

Exam level
CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A2 KeyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.3.0–4.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 2.0–2.524–43TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.225–549
Frequency
Frequent
Level
A2 · Elementary
Updated

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