A closet is a small, enclosed space used for storing items. InBritish English, it's a cupboard.• A closet for food is a pantry and for clothes, a wardrobe. Awater closet is a toilet and a sufficiently large closet is awalk-in closet.• The word comes from the Latin clausum, meaning “closed”. Whenthe word originated in the 17th century, it referred to a small,private room, often behind a bedroom.• Today, closets can be built into the walls of a house, takingup no apparent space in a room. The other option is to befree-standing.• Closets are often built under stairs, making small, awkwardspace productive. • Before World War II in North America, storageneeds tended to be met by chests, trunks and wall-mounted pegs.• It has been suggested that the post-WWII increase in closetswas responsible fo