drawer
UK[drɔː(r)]US[drɔːr]
n
a box-shaped storage compartment without a lid, made to slide horizontally in and out of a desk, chest, or other piece of furniture.
n
a person or thing that draws, especially a person who draws a cheque.
Morpheme Breakdown
draw
er
draw
to drag, pull, draw
er
Etymology
the word 'drawer' is a transparent compound formed from the verb 'draw' and the agentive suffix '-er'. the verb 'draw' itself originates from the old english dragan, meaning "to pull, drag, or haul," a concept with deep proto-germanic and proto-indo-european roots related to pulling motion. the primary modern meaning, a sliding storage compartment, logically derives from the action of pulling or drawing it open. the secondary meaning, "one who draws (e.g., a cheque or a picture)," directly follows the standard function of the '-er' suffix to denote an agent performing the action of the verb.
Analysis
Structure: draw + er
draw (from old english dragan, meaning "to drag, pull, draw") + er (from old english -ere, an agent noun suffix indicating "one who does or works with").
Examples
she kept her pens and pencils in the top drawer of the desk.
the drawer of the cheque must ensure sufficient funds are available.
the kitchen drawer was stuck, so he had to wiggle it to get it open.