Definition

Noun: 1. A storage trunk for personal belongings: A sturdy, often rectangular box or chest used to store clothes and other personal items. It is traditionally associated with military barracks, where it is typically placed at the foot of a soldier's bed.

Examples

• The new recruit neatly folded his uniforms and placed them in his footlocker.
• She found her grandfather's old medals at the bottom of his footlocker.
• Each cadet is responsible for keeping their footlocker clean and orderly.

Advanced Usage

• The term evokes a specific, often nostalgic, image of military life, dormitories, or summer camps where personal storage space is limited and standardized.
• While historically common, the physical object is less prevalent today, but the word remains in use to describe similar storage containers.

Variants and Related Words

• Locker: A more general term for a storage compartment, often a tall cabinet that can be locked. (e.g., a gym locker, a school locker).
• Trunk: A large, strong box for storing or transporting clothes and other items. A "footlocker" is a specific type of trunk.
• Chest: A box, often with a hinged lid, used for storage. A "footlocker" is a type of storage chest.

Synonyms

• Storage trunk
• Locker (in a specific, comparable context)
• Chest
• Box

Related Idioms or Phrases

• "Footlocker inspection": A formal check, especially in a military or disciplined setting, to ensure the contents of a footlocker are stored correctly and the footlocker itself is clean. This phrase implies rigor and attention to detail.
  • The sergeant announced a surprise footlocker inspection for 0700 hours.

Noun

1. a trunk for storing personal possessions; usually kept at the foot of a bed (as in a barracks)