cork-drawer

A bartender uses a cork-drawer to open a wine bottle.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A device for removing corks: "cork-drawer" refers to a tool, typically a corkscrew, used to pull corks from bottles, especially wine bottles.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • He reached for the cork-drawer to open the bottle of red wine. (He used the tool to remove the cork.)
  • The cork-drawer was old and rusty, making it difficult to extract the cork. (The tool for pulling corks was in poor condition.)

Advanced Usage

• "cork-drawer" as a historical term: In older English, "cork-drawer" was sometimes used synonymously with "corkscrew," though it is now largely archaic or regional.
  • The innkeeper kept a sturdy cork-drawer behind the bar for serving guests. (The bartender used a corkscrew to open bottles for customers.)

Variants and Related Words

• Corkscrew (n): a more common modern term for a device with a spiral metal piece used to draw corks.

  • A corkscrew is a type of cork-drawer. (A corkscrew is a specific design of cork-drawing tool.)

• Cork (n): the stopper for a bottle, often made from the bark of the cork oak.

  • The cork was stuck, so he needed a cork-drawer. (The stopper required a tool for removal.)

Synonyms

• Corkscrew: the standard modern synonym for a cork-drawing tool.
• Bottle opener: a broader term that can include tools for removing corks, though often refers to crown caps.

Related Idioms

• Draw the cork: to remove the cork from a bottle, often used metaphorically for beginning a celebration.

  • They decided to draw the cork and toast the new year. (They opened the bottle to celebrate.)

• Cork-popper: a colloquial term for a device that opens champagne bottles, similar in function to a cork-drawer.