hope chest
1. A piece of furniture used to store household items such as clothing and linens. The antique store had a beautiful cedar hope chest that would be a perfect addition to my bedroom furniture.
2. A young woman's collection of household items to use in her home after marriage. Sarah collected linens and sheets for her hope chest in anticipation of her new life as a married woman.
hope chest
a chest containing linen, clothes, and household items stored by a woman in preparation for her marriage. North American The British equivalent of this expression is bottom drawer (see drawer).