lost and found — A place where lost items are kept until claimed by their owners
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: A place where lost items are kept until claimed by their owners
Pronunciation (IPA): /lɔːst ænd faʊnd/
Example Sentences
- My grandmother accidentally donated her dentures to the lost and found instead of her reading glasses.
- The airport's lost and found has everything from wedding dresses to live chickens.
- Please visit the lost and found on the second floor if you've misplaced any items.
lost and found
NOUN[/lɔːst ænd faʊnd/]
A place where lost items are kept until claimed by their owners

He picked up his missing umbrella at the station's lost and found.

Hope was tossed, searched the ground, till lost and found!
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
This compound phrase combines the English words 'lost' (past participle of lose, meaning misplaced or missing) and 'found' (past participle of find, meaning discovered or recovered). The term emerged as a practical designation for a designated location or office where items accidentally left behind are collected and held for their owners to retrieve.
Breakdown
lost (past participle of Old English losian, meaning to perish or be deprived of) + and (conjunction) + found (past participle of Old English findan, meaning to discover or encounter).
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My grandmother accidentally donated her dentures to the lost and found instead of her reading glasses.”
“The airport's lost and found has everything from wedding dresses to live chickens.”
“Please visit the lost and found on the second floor if you've misplaced any items.”
“The hotel's lost and found collected over 500 phone chargers last year alone.”
📚Related Words
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