drawer

A drawer is a sliding storage compartment found in furniture such as desks, dressers, and cabinets. It is a shallow box that moves in and out on runners or slides, allowing access to its contents without moving the furniture. Drawers are typically built with a bottom, two side walls, a back, and a front, and are enclosed by a front panel that may include a handle, knob, or recessed grip.

Construction and hardware vary, but common elements include durable joinery and hardware designed to enable smooth movement. Drawers may be made from solid wood, plywood, or composites, and fronts may be veneered or laminated. Joints such as dovetails provide strength for the box corners. Movement is provided by slides or runners, which can be wood-on-wood, metal ball-bearing slides, or more modern soft-close mechanisms.

There are many specialized variants designed for particular uses, including filing drawers for documents, utensil drawers in kitchens, jewelry drawers, and tool drawers in workshops. Filing drawers are typically deeper and may use high-capacity slides to support heavier loads. In furniture design, drawers are often arranged in banks or integrated into desks, chests, and cabinets to optimize storage space.

Drawer can also refer to a person who draws, i.e., an artist or draftsman. While this sense is historical and less common in everyday speech, terms like true artist, draughtsman, or illustrator are frequently used today.

Etymology-wise, the furniture sense derives from the French tiroir, meaning a pull-out, from tirer, “to pull.” The sense of a person who draws aligns with the general verb draw.