cloakroom

Everyday

1. A cloakroom is a room where you can leave coats, bags and umbrellas, for example in a school or theatre. tree →
2. (UK, polite euphemism) A cloakroom can mean a toilet: «the ladies' cloakroom». tree →

In the lessons

In school, pupils hang their coats and bags in the cloakroom. In theatres you leave your coat at the cloakroom and get a ticket. In polite British talk «cloakroom» may be a soft word for toilet.

Examples

• Hang your coat in the cloakroom. tree →
• My PE bag is in the cloakroom. tree →
• We left our umbrellas at the theatre cloakroom. tree →
• The cloakroom ticket was number 42. tree →
• Excuse me, where is the cloakroom? tree →
• The cloakroom was full of wet wellies. tree →

Note

One word. In polite British use «the cloakroom» may mean a toilet; ask if unsure. In the USA a «coat check» or «coatroom» is more common.