hatrack
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: 1. A piece of furniture or fixture with hooks or pegs for hanging coats and hats: A hatrack is a stand, often freestanding but sometimes wall-mounted, designed to temporarily hold outerwear such as coats, hats, and sometimes umbrellas.
Usage
The word "hatrack" is a compound noun. It is used to refer to the physical object itself. It is typically found in entries for homes, offices, hallways, or cloakrooms.
Examples
- Noun:
- Please hang your coat on the hatrack in the hallway.
- The old-fashioned wooden hatrack stood by the front door.
- We need a hatrack so guests have a place to put their things.
Advanced Usage
- The term can sometimes be used metaphorically to describe a person who is very thin or who is used by others to hold items, though this is informal and less common.
- After his illness, he was a mere hatrack of his former self. (Figurative, informal)
Variants and Related Words
- Coat rack: A very close synonym, often used interchangeably with "hatrack."
- Hall tree: A type of hatrack that often includes a small seat or mirror.
- Stand: A more general term for a piece of furniture designed to hold or support something.
Synonyms
- Coat rack
- Hall stand
- Clothes stand
Antonyms
- There is no direct antonym, but conceptually, a storage box or drawer (for putting clothes away permanently) serves an opposite function.
Related Phrases/Idioms
- "To be a hatrack": (Informal, figurative) To be extremely thin or to serve merely as a support for clothes or other items.
- He's so skinny, he's just a hatrack for that suit.
Noun
- a rack with hooks for temporarily holding coats and hats