drawers
/drɔ:z/
Definition
- Noun (plural):
- Underpants; an undergarment for the lower body: Historically, "drawers" refers to a type of undergarment, typically loose-fitting and covering the legs to the knees or ankles, worn by both men and women. In modern usage, it often refers to underpants or underwear.
Usage
- The word "drawers" is almost always used in its plural form, even when referring to a single garment. It is typically preceded by "a pair of."
- It is considered a somewhat old-fashioned or historical term for underwear, though it is still understood.
Examples
- Noun:
- In the 19th century, women wore long cotton drawers under their dresses.
- He packed a clean pair of drawers for his trip.
- The antique shop had a display of Victorian-era drawers.
Advanced Usage
- "A pair of drawers": The standard phrase for referring to this garment.
- She bought a new pair of drawers.
- "In one's drawers": An informal, somewhat humorous way to say "in one's underwear."
- He answered the door in his drawers.
Variants and Related Words
- Drawer (singular noun): This is a completely different word, most commonly meaning a sliding box in a piece of furniture (e.g., a desk drawer). Do not confuse it with the plural noun "drawers."
- Underdrawers (noun, plural): A synonym, emphasizing the garment's function as underwear.
- Knickers (noun, plural): A British English term for women's underpants, similar in historical context to drawers.
- Bloomers (noun, plural): A historical term for loose trousers gathered at the knee or ankle, worn as an undergarment or for sports; sometimes used synonymously with drawers.
Synonyms
- Underpants
- Undergarments
- Underwear
- Knickers (primarily British)
- Panties (for women's styles)
- Long johns (for a specific, long-legged type of undergarment)
Related Phrases
- A pair of drawers: The standard collocation.
- To be caught with one's drawers down: An idiom meaning to be caught unprepared or in a vulnerable situation (a more humorous or vulgar variant of "caught with one's pants down").
- The sudden audit caught the company with its drawers down.
Notes on Meaning
- The primary and most common meaning of "drawers" is the undergarment. The singular form "drawer" has a completely unrelated meaning (a compartment in furniture).
- While the term can apply to both men's and women's undergarments historically, in contemporary understanding, it often evokes historical or women's clothing.
Noun
-
underpants worn by women
-
she was afraid that her bloomers might have been showing
-
-
underpants worn by men
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