What does coatstand mean?
A coatstand is a tall, freestanding piece of furniture designed to hold coats, hats, scarves and other garments on hooks or pegs. Typically placed in an entrance hall, lobby or bedroom, it consists of a central pole mounted on a weighted base, often with branches radiating near the top to hang items from. The word may be written solid ('coatstand'), as two words ('coat stand'), or replaced by the closely related terms 'hatstand' and 'coat rack'. Coatstands are especially associated with Victorian and Edwardian interiors, when formal entrance halls demanded a dignified place to leave outdoor wear, and they remain popular today for their space-saving convenience compared with a full wardrobe. In British English the term is more common than in American English, where 'coat rack' predominates. The plural is usually written 'coat stands', matching whichever spelling of the base form is chosen.
nounA tall upright piece of furniture, usually freestanding, with hooks or pegs on which coats, hats and other garments are hung.
- A tall freestanding post with pegs or hooks used for hanging coats, hats and other outerwear in an entrance hall or room.
"She hung her dripping umbrella on the coatstand by the front door."
"He shrugged off his overcoat and draped it over the coatstand in the hallway."
"The Victorian coatstand in the hotel lobby was crowned with a carved wooden finial."
When the word is written solid as 'coatstand', the plural is formed regularly as 'coatstands'; the two-word form 'coat stand' gives 'coat stands', which is the more common rendering.
"The office ordered several new coat stands for its reception area."
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of coatstand
The coatstand is a compound of 'coat', which entered English from Old French 'cote' in the Middle Ages and ultimately traces back further through Romance sources for a long outer garment, and 'stand', from Old English 'standan', meaning to be upright. The furniture itself became widespread in the nineteenth century, when growing middle-class homes required a dedicated place in the hall for visitors' and residents' outdoor clothing. Related compound terms include the hatstand and the hall stand, which developed alongside it.
Related word forms
How coatstand is actually used
Often written as two words ('coat stand') as well as one; both forms are accepted, with 'coat rack' being the more common term in American English and 'coat stand' or 'coatstand' more typical in British English.
Easily confused with coatstand
A hatstand is a similar stand designed chiefly for hats (often with a crown-shaped top or pegs around it), while a coatstand is built primarily for hanging coats, though the two terms overlap in everyday use.