ladies' cloakroom
- noun
- UK
:
salón de señoras
- Please collect your belongings from the ladies' cloakroom before you leave.
Examples
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She asked for directions to the ladies' cloakroom at the theater.
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The ladies' cloakroom was newly renovated and much more spacious.
-
The ladies' cloakroom is located on the first floor.
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Please use the ladies' cloakroom before entering the ballroom.
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The ladies' cloakroom at the conference provided a comfortable space to change outfits.
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Make sure to hang your coat in the ladies' cloakroom during the event.
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After the meeting, many attendees visited the ladies' cloakroom to freshen up.
Synonyms
145
1.6
A room in a gym or workplace where people change clothes and keep personal things safe
133
1.8
A room where people change clothes, for example in a shop or theatre
4
2.1
A room in a public place where people leave coats and bags
3
2.8
A room where people leave coats and bags temporarily
1
3.5
A room where people leave coats or bags for a short time
A room in a public place where people leave coats and bags
Surface Forms
Morphology
ladies' + cloakroom
The phrase is compositionally built: 'ladies'' specifies the target group (women) and 'cloakroom' denotes a public room for coats/refreshing, so the combined meaning is simply a cloakroom for women. This possessive + noun pattern is transparent and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the meaning.
Etymology
Ladies' cloakroom comes from the simple idea of a cloakroom, a room where people left their 'cloaks', which were heavy coats, and where women had a separate space to change or freshen up. So it now means a public room for women to leave coats, change clothes, or tidy themselves.