A clotheshorse or clothes horse, sometimes called a clothes rack, drying horse, winterdyke,[1] clothes maiden, drying rack, Frostick, or airer, refers to a frame upon which clothes are hung after washing to enable them to dry. The frame is usually made of wood, metal or plastic.
There are many types of drying racks, including large, stationary outdoor racks, smaller, folding portable racks, and wall-mounted drying racks. A drying rack is similar in usage and function to a clothes line, and used in lieu of a clothes dryer. The name clothes horse was in use by 1800.
The term "clotheshorse" may also refer to a person excessively or obsessively interested in clothes, often to a humorous extent.[2]
On 24 November 2011 a clotheshorse was the subject of a story featured on the most popular stories section on the BBC homepage. A clothes horse had ensnared a Derby student in its wiry, plastic coated tentacles [3]