highboy

noun

high·​boy ˈhī-ˌbȯi How to pronounce highboy (audio)
: a tall chest of drawers with a legged base

Illustration of highboy

Illustration of highboy

Examples of highboy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Strewn about the living and dining rooms are the same wingback Windsor and Queen Anne chairs, highboys and credenzas, the Persian rugs never differing in texture, the Pikesville and Sagamore rye whiskeys brushing shoulders on a sideboard not far away. Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 21 Apr. 2022 Here, Morris incorporated antiques, like the highboy and a sunburst mirror, with more contemporary pieces such as the 10-seater dining table (from Tritter Feefer) and Woodbridge Furniture side chairs. Marisa Spyker, Southern Living, 23 Apr. 2021 But whereas Johnson specialized in imagery meant to shock and titillate—typified by his AT&T Building of 1977–1984 in New York, a cartoon Chippendale highboy—Pei favored iconography that aimed to soothe and impress. Martin Filler, The New York Review of Books, 24 May 2019 While across the hall stands a highboy with spindle legs that give away its age - sometime in the early 1700s. Joan Hunt, Courant Community, 21 Dec. 2017 There was a stellar American highboy that came from her grandfather for the living room. Carrie Nieman Culpepper, House Beautiful, 4 Nov. 2013 Its main entrance, slapped onto the building's front, is a giant highboy. Blair Kamin, chicagotribune.com, 23 June 2017 Add personal lifestyle objects: On a Craftsman highboy in the bedroom, Palmer has men's collar holders and painted glass jars that held cosmetics. Susan Green, OregonLive.com, 11 July 2017 Broken English The taqueria's new Lincoln Park location has a dog-friendly patio seating 100 people at a mix of highboys and picnic tables. Adam Lukach and Samantha Nelson, chicagotribune.com, 12 May 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'highboy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1891, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of highboy was in 1891

Dictionary Entries Near highboy

Cite this Entry

“Highboy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/highboy. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

highboy

noun
high·​boy -ˌbȯi How to pronounce highboy (audio)
: a high chest of drawers set on a base with long legs

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