clothes-press: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
LowFormal/Historical
Quick answer
What does “clothes-press” mean?
A tall cupboard or cabinet, often built into a wall, used for storing clothes.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A tall cupboard or cabinet, often built into a wall, used for storing clothes.
A piece of furniture, historically common in bedrooms, designed for hanging garments and sometimes containing drawers. It can also refer to a large, heavy device used to press clothes in a laundry or commercial setting.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Both varieties understand the term, but it is rarely used in everyday modern speech for furniture. In the UK, it might be found in historical contexts or older properties. In the US, 'wardrobe', 'armoire', or 'closet' are vastly more common.
Connotations
Connotes antiquity, traditional homes, or formal/posh settings when referring to furniture. The laundry equipment sense is more neutral and functional.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in contemporary speech for the furniture sense. The laundry equipment sense is specialized and has moderate frequency in relevant industries.
Grammar
How to Use “clothes-press” in a Sentence
There is a [adjective] clothes-press in the bedroom.The maid took the sheets to the clothes-press in the basement.Vocabulary
Collocations
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare, except in antiques trade or furniture manufacturing.
Academic
Used in historical, architectural, or material culture studies.
Everyday
Very rare; mostly understood by older generations or in very formal households.
Technical
The heavy pressing machine used in commercial laundries.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “clothes-press”
- Using it to mean 'iron' or 'ironing board'.
- Omitting the hyphen and writing as 'clothespress' or 'clothes press'.
- Assuming it is a common, modern term.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, in the furniture sense they are synonyms, though 'wardrobe' is the modern, common term and 'clothes-press' sounds old-fashioned.
No, it is only a noun. The action is 'to press clothes'.
It is a traditional compound noun where the hyphen helps clarify that it is a single unit (a press for clothes), not two separate words. Modern usage sometimes omits it.
Typically no, for furniture. However, a large mechanical 'clothes-press' is indeed a machine used in laundries for pressing items like shirts or tablecloths flat.
A tall cupboard or cabinet, often built into a wall, used for storing clothes.
Clothes-press is usually formal/historical in register.
Clothes-press: in British English it is pronounced /ˈkləʊðz ˌprɛs/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈkloʊðz ˌprɛs/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None specific to this compound noun.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a PRESS for storing CLOTHES, not for ironing them. It presses your clothes flat against the wall in a tall cupboard.
Conceptual Metaphor
CONTAINER FOR STORAGE, SOLID FURNITURE AS A STATUS SYMBOL.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'clothes-press' most likely to be used today?