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Mudroom
Posted by Masakim on May 05, 2002
In Reply to: Mudroom posted by ESC on May 05, 2002
: : : There seem to be a number of Americans contributing to this forum (I'm English). I wonder if one of you helpful people can tell me if the word "mudroom" is a normal American word, and what it means. It appears in the novel I'm currently reading (Some Things That Stay by Sarah Willis) and as far as I can make out it is a room off the kitchen where you might take your muddy boots off - in which case the nearest word we have might be "utility room". But it's not in any dictionary I've looked in so I wonder how much of a current word it is.
: : : Armorel
: : Yes, it's a common word. I believe it's a modern term. Mudroom means a room where people take off their muddy boots, hang up coats, put school books, etc., on a shelf.
: I couldn't find "mudroom" in my references. It's a middle class/upper middle class type of thing. Poor folks just have to put up with mud being tracked in the house.
You couldn't find "mudroom" in your references!?
Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary gives:
Main Entry:
mud·room
Pronunciation: 'm&d-"rüm, -"rum
Function: noun
Date: circa
1950
: a room in a house designed especially for the shedding of dirty or wet
footwear and clothing and located typically off the kitchen or in the basement
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language (Fourth Edition) defines "mudroom" as "A small room or entryway in a house where wet or muddy footwear and clothing can be removed."
See also LivingHome at
www.livinghome.com/
news/remodeling/195-15.html
