# drawers

/ˈdɹɔɹz/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/drawers
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. furniture compartments

noun · CEFR A2

the plural form of drawer; sliding boxes in a piece of furniture used for storage.

For teachers: the plural form of 'drawer', referring to the sliding, box-like compartments in a desk, chest, or cabinet.

- He searched through all the desk drawers looking for his passport.
- The antique dresser featured hand-carved drawers that glided smoothly despite being over a century old.

### 2. underpants

noun · CEFR C1 · Informal · Archaic · Dialect

an old-fashioned or informal word for underpants.

For teachers: a plural-only noun referring to undergarments covering the lower torso and legs.

- The old man complained about having to wash his long drawers by hand.
- In Victorian literature, the term 'drawers' frequently referred to the linen undergarments worn beneath heavy trousers or skirts.

Usage: Always used in the plural form; takes a plural verb.

### 3. trousers or shorts

noun · CEFR C2 · Slang · Dialect

a slang word for any clothes that cover your legs, like trousers or shorts.

For teachers: a slang or dialectal term for any leg-covering garment, including trousers, shorts, or tights.

- He spilled juice all over his new drawers before the party started.
- The local dialect used 'drawers' to describe everything from athletic shorts to formal trousers, often confusing visitors to the region.

Teaching tip: This sense is highly regional and informal; learners should generally use 'trousers' or 'pants' to avoid being misunderstood as referring to underwear.

## Examples

- She put her socks in the top drawer.
- He opened the bottom drawer to find the old photo album he had forgotten about.
- The antique desk featured three narrow drawers for writing implements and a larger one for loose papers.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.