clotheshorse
UK[ˈkləʊðzhɔːs]US[ˈkloʊðzhɔːrs]
n
a frame on which to hang clothes for drying or airing, usually indoors.
n
a person who is very interested in fashionable clothes and owns many of them.
Morpheme Breakdown
clothes
horse
clothes
horse
Etymology
the compound "clotheshorse" is a vivid example of metaphorical extension in english. the first element, "clothes," derives from the old english word for cloth or garments. the second element, "horse," also of old english origin, originally referred to the animal. by the 18th century, "horse" began to be used figuratively to denote a sturdy frame or support, as seen in terms like "sawhorse." thus, a "clotheshorse" literally means a frame that "carries" clothes. the later, 19th-century sense describing a person who is a dedicated follower of fashion extends the metaphor further, likening someone who displays clothes prominently to the functional object.
Analysis
Structure: clothes + horse
clothes (from old english 'clāþas', meaning garments; functional role: base noun denoting the object's purpose). horse (from old english 'hors', meaning the animal; functional role: base noun used metaphorically to denote a supporting structure or a person with certain qualities).
Examples
she hung the wet sweater on the wooden clotheshorse near the fireplace.
he was known in the fashion circles as a true clotheshorse, always wearing the latest designs.
after washing, we set up the collapsible clotheshorse in the living room.