drawing-room

A family gathers in the drawing-room for afternoon tea.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A formal reception room: "drawing-room" refers to a room in a large house where guests are received and entertained, typically more formal than a living room. It was historically used for social gatherings and after-dinner conversation, especially by women withdrawing from the dining room.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The guests were invited into the drawing-room for coffee and conversation after the meal. (A formal room for receiving guests.)
  • The house had a large drawing-room with elegant furniture and a grand piano. (A room designed for entertaining.)

Advanced Usage

• "to retire to the drawing-room": a traditional practice in formal dining where the women would leave the dining room for the drawing-room while the men remained for port and cigars.

  • After dinner, the ladies retired to the drawing-room for tea. (They moved to the formal reception area.)

• "drawing-room comedy": a genre of theatrical play set in a drawing-room, often featuring witty dialogue and social satire.

  • The play was a classic drawing-room comedy, filled with clever banter and misunderstandings. (A comedy set in a formal reception room.)

Variants and Related Words

• Drawing-room (adj): relating to or characteristic of a drawing-room, especially in being formal or refined.

  • They maintained a drawing-room atmosphere, with polite conversation and decorum. (Formal and refined.)

• Drawing-room car (n): a railway passenger car with comfortable seats, often used for first-class travel.

  • They booked a seat in the drawing-room car for the long journey. (A luxurious railway carriage.)

Synonyms

• Salon: a room or establishment where guests are received, especially for intellectual or artistic conversation.
• Parlour (or parlor): a room in a house used for receiving guests and for conversation.
• Reception room: a room where formal gatherings or receptions are held.

Related Idioms

• Drawing-room manners: very polite and formal behaviour, often associated with upper-class social etiquette.

  • His drawing-room manners were impeccable, but he was less refined in casual settings. (Extremely polite and formal behaviour.)

• Drawing-room language: polite, refined, and euphemistic speech, avoiding vulgar or direct expressions.

  • The author used drawing-room language to describe the scandal, avoiding any crude terms. (Polite and euphemistic speech.)