clothes tree

4.1

A standing pole with hooks for hanging coats and hats

noun
/kloʊðz tri/

: perchero

The clothes tree in the hallway is perfect for keeping our jackets organized.

Examples

That is my clothes tree with your clothes on it.

Fiction book (2002)
He could not see the clothes tree.

Fiction book (2002)
"Bear shined a flashlight on the clothes tree."

Fiction book (2002)
She hung her coat on the clothes tree by the door.
He placed his hat on the clothes tree before sitting down to relax.

Synonyms

coat rack

vsclothes tree

5 1.0

A stand with hooks for hanging coats and hats

is a single upright pole often used for umbrellas as well

coatrack

vsclothes tree

2 2.0

A stand with hooks for hanging coats and hats near the door

is freestanding and meant for general room use rather than an entryway

coat stand

vsclothes tree

1 2.3

A piece of furniture with a tall pole and hooks for hanging coats

adds hats and umbrellas to what it is used for

coat tree

vsclothes tree

2.5

A tall stand with hooks for hanging coats and hats

is a freestanding pole that can also hold umbrellas and hats

clothes horse

vsclothes tree

3.1

A frame for hanging clothes to dry or to display them

focuses on holding worn outer items rather than drying or displaying

clotheshorse

vsclothes tree

7.5

A frame for hanging wet clothes to dry indoors

serves for everyday hanging of worn items, not for drying wet laundry

How Useful

wardrobe

35 1.0

clothes tree

4.1

coat rack

5 1.0

hook

192 1.0

Surface Forms

clothes tree singular

clothes trees plural

Morphology

clothes + tree

The phrase denotes a tree-shaped stand for clothes, so its meaning is directly built from 'clothes' (what is hung) and 'tree' (a vertical, branching shape used metaphorically for a stand). This compositional, imageable mapping is common cross-linguistically and should be immediately understandable to a B1 learner who knows the constituent words.

Etymology

The noun clothes tree comes from its shape: a stand with pegs that look like the branches of a tree, where people hang clothes, hats, or umbrellas. So the picture of a small tree for hanging items helps you remember why it means 'a freestanding upright pole with pegs or hooks for hanging clothes, hats, or umbrellas'.