What does lowboy mean?
A lowboy is a low table, chest, or dressing table, usually fitted with drawers and sometimes decorated with painted or veneered surfaces. It is particularly associated with traditional North American furniture, where it might stand beside a bed, serve as a dressing table, or provide storage for clothing and household objects. The word can also denote a low bed, especially in a ship’s cabin. In contemporary interiors, a vintage lowboy is valued for its practical storage and distinctive craftsmanship, often appearing in bedrooms, hallways, and living rooms. Although “lowboy” can refer to several related forms of low furniture, the modern sense generally emphasizes a small chest or table rather than a bed. The term should not be confused with a highboy, its tall counterpart.
nounA low table or chest, especially one with drawers, traditionally used for storage or as a dressing table. The term can also refer to a low bed, particularly in a ship's cabin.
- A low table or chest, often fitted with drawers and used for storage or as a dressing table.
- A low bed, especially a bed in a ship's cabin.
- A low, often boxlike storage chest or bench associated with traditional furniture.
"They placed a small antique lowboy beneath the window, its painted drawers filled with linens."
"A restored lowboy stood beside the bed, its brass handles gleaming."
"The ship's lowboy was folded away during the day and set up for the night."
The plural is lowboys, used when referring to more than one lowboy.
"The auction included several colonial lowboys and other pieces of early American furniture."
Once a defining feature of traditional American interiors, the lowboy is enjoying a renewed appreciation as a striking, practical piece of furniture.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of lowboy
The word is an English compound of “low” and “boy,” with the sense of low furniture established by the early nineteenth century. Its use in furniture terminology developed alongside terms such as “highboy.” The precise historical reason for the choice of “boy” in the compound is not entirely transparent, and the word now functions as a specialized furniture name.
How lowboy is actually used
The term is especially associated with North American furniture, although it is also used in British English. In modern usage, it most often denotes a low chest or table rather than a bed.
Easily confused with lowboy
A highboy is a tall, often two-part piece of furniture with drawers, whereas a lowboy is a low table or chest.