Word of the Day

: September 16, 2011

wardrobe

noun WOR-drohb

What It Means

1 a : a room or closet where clothes are kept

b : a receptacle for clothes

c : a large trunk in which clothes may be hung upright

2 a : a collection of wearing apparel (as of one person or for one activity)

b : a collection of stage costumes and accessories

3 : the department of a royal or noble household entrusted with the care of wearing apparel, jewels, and personal articles

wardrobe in Context

Over the years, Sandra has managed to acquire a large and varied wardrobe.

"The blazer is the easiest thing in fall to incorporate into your wardrobe. One good blazer can go well with a dress, pretty blouse or even be used as part of a suit." -- From an article by Tracy Jones in the Florida Times-Union, August 9, 2011

Did You Know?

There is a lot of word history packed into "wardrobe." The word was borrowed by Middle-English speakers from a variant of Anglo-French "garderobe." A combination of "garder" and "robe," "garderobe" itself has been borrowed into English as a synonym of "wardrobe." If the roots of "garderobe" look familiar, it is because they are the source of a number of different English words. "Garder" has given us the English verbs "guard" and "ward." And "robe," of course, is the source of the English "robe" and shares its own origins with the English verbs "rob" and "reave" (a synonym of "plunder"). If this connection seems odd, it might help to know that "robe" can be traced back to the Old High German words "rauba," meaning "booty," "spoils," or "looted clothing."