clothes-horse

A clothes-horse stands in the sunny corner of the living room, draped with colorful shirts and socks.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A frame for drying clothes: "clothes-horse" refers to a portable frame, typically made of wood or metal, on which wet laundry is hung to dry indoors.
   • A person excessively concerned with fashion: In informal usage, "clothes-horse" can describe someone who is very interested in wearing stylish or fashionable clothing, often to an excessive degree.

Usage Examples

• A frame for drying clothes:

  • After washing the shirts, she set up the clothes-horse in the living room to dry them. (A frame used for hanging wet laundry.)
  • The old wooden clothes-horse collapsed under the weight of the wet sheets. (A portable drying rack.)

• A person concerned with fashion:

  • He is such a clothes-horse; he spends all his money on designer suits. (Someone obsessed with fashionable attire.)
  • She was known as a clothes-horse in her social circle, always wearing the latest trends. (A person who loves fashionable clothing.)

Advanced Usage

• "to be a clothes-horse": Used figuratively to denote a person who prioritizes clothing and appearance.
  • Despite his intelligence, he is often dismissed as a mere clothes-horse. (Judged only by his interest in fashion.)

Variants and Related Words

• Clothesline (n): a rope or line used for hanging clothes to dry outdoors.

  • She hung the laundry on the clothesline in the backyard. (A line for outdoor drying.)

• Clothes rack (n): a synonym for a clothes-horse, often a standing frame for hanging garments.

  • The hotel room had a small clothes rack for guests. (A portable frame for hanging clothes.)

Synonyms

• Drying rack: a frame for hanging wet items to dry.
• Fashion plate: a person who dresses very stylishly (similar to the figurative sense of "clothes-horse").
• Dandy: a man who is very concerned with his appearance and clothing (informal).

Related Idioms

• "Not a dry thread on the clothes-horse": An exaggerated phrase meaning that all laundry is completely dry.

  • After a day in the sun, there wasn't a dry thread on the clothes-horse. (All clothes were thoroughly dried.)

• "To be hung out to dry like a clothes-horse": To be left exposed or abandoned in a difficult situation.

  • He felt like a clothes-horse in the rain, left alone to face the criticism. (Left vulnerable and unsupported.)