Drawer Is Two Words With Different Pronunciations
A drawer slides out of furniture. Spelled the same, a drawer is also someone who draws, and the two are said differently.
A drawer is a sliding compartment in furniture. The same spelling names a person who draws, and the two are pronounced differently: the furniture is DROR, one syllable, while the person is DRAW-er, two. Both come from *draw*, meaning to pull — a drawer is pulled out, and a drawing is pulled across paper.
- A sliding compartment. *The top drawer.*
- One who draws. *A skilled drawer.*
- Drawers — undergarments (dated). *A pair of drawers.*
- Top drawer — of the highest quality. *Absolutely top drawer.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | drawer | A jammed drawer. |
| Plural | drawers | Chest of drawers. |
| Verb | draw | Draw the curtain. |
| Past | drew / drawn | Drawn from life. |
| Idiom | top drawer | Top drawer stuff. |
How it is used in a sentence
- It is in the top drawer.Furniture: one syllable.
- He is a fine drawer.Person: two syllables.
- That performance was top drawer.Excellent.
Senses of *draw*
- To pull — draw the curtains, draw a sword
- To make a picture — draw a portrait
- To attract — draw a crowd
- To tie — the match was a draw
- To extract — draw water from a well
From *draw*, Old English *dragan*, to pull or drag — the same word as *drag*, arriving through a different dialect.
Are drag and draw the same word?
Yes. Both descend from Old English *dragan*, with drag entering through Old Norse influence.
Where does *top drawer* come from?
From the top drawer of a dressing table, where the most valuable items were traditionally kept.