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coat closet

coat closet

3 1.0
A small space for hanging coats and jackets
  • noun
  • US
translation icon : armario para abrigos
  • When it gets cold outside, I always hang my jacket in the coat closet by the front door.
  • open the coat closet
  • coat closet door
  • coat closet in the hall

Examples

  • I took a zippered black leather jacket from the coat closet.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • Esther kept the cane in the umbrella stand near the coat closet to remind herself to take her time on icy surfaces.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • And... there in the middle of it... was a coat closet... standing there all by itself.

  • "Go to your room!" I heard the door to the coat closet open, then my father's voice.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • I doubt there's room left in the coat closet, though you can always try.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • Alma went into the coat closet and flipped on banks of lights.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • She left in such a hurry that her boots and several other personal items were still in her coat closet.

    Academic text (2000)
  • She smiled and opened the door to the coat closet.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • Decker had dug up an old sweater from the coat closet and had placed it over Terry's shoulders.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • Holding the bottles close to her sides in both hands, Ruth walked to the coat closet at the door of the apartment and deposited the bottles in the pockets of her spring coat.

    Fiction book (2002)

Synonyms

closet
vscoat closet
  • US
755 1.0

A small space for keeping clothes and other things

is for outerwear specifically rather than general clothing storage
wardrobe
vscoat closet
35 1.0

A large piece of furniture with doors for storing clothes

is built in or fixed for coats and outerwear rather than movable furniture
coatroom
vscoat closet
4 2.1

A room in a public place where people leave coats and bags

is used at home for ongoing storage of coats rather than temporary check
cloakroom
vscoat closet
  • UK
3 2.8

A room where people leave coats and bags temporarily

is the home storage for coats kept regularly rather than temporary event storage
clothes closet
vscoat closet
  • US
1 1.1

A closet for keeping clothes like coats and dresses

is focused on coats and outerwear rather than all clothes
garderobe
vscoat closet
  • Archaic
9.9

A room in a public place where people leave coats and bags

is mainly domestic storage for outerwear rather than public theatre storage

How Big

cloakroom
  • UK
3 2.8
wardrobe
35 1.0
coat closet
  • US
3 1.0
coat rack
5 1.0

Surface Forms

coat closet singular
coat closets plural

Morphology

coat + closet

The meaning 'a closet used for storing coats' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'coat' (outer garment) with 'closet' (storage space). This noun–noun compound follows a common compositional pattern found across languages and would be immediately clear to a B1 learner who knows both constituents.

Etymology

Coat closet comes from the simple idea of a small closet by the door where people hang coats and umbrellas when they come in. That's why it means 'a closet used for storing coats and other outerwear'.