Glove compartment
A
glove compartment or
glovebox or
glovie is a compartment built into the dashboard, located over the front-seat passenger's footwell in an automobile, often used for miscellaneous storage. The name derives from the original purpose of the compartment, to store gloves. In most vehicles, the glove compartment closes with a latch, with the option of being locked with a key. Gloves were originally worn to keep the hands clean. Driving gloves were considered necessary equipment in early cars, many without a hard top, to prevent the cooling effect of fast-moving air from numbing drivers' hands. In some vehicles, the inside of the compartment's door may have an area for holding cups when open, and a section for holding a pen or pencil. In some newer cars, the glove compartment is temperature controlled, allowing for its use as a cooler. In others, such as the Toyota Yaris hatchback, multiple glove compartments are provided. A glove compartment is occasionally called a
jockey box, especially in the United States. In South Africa, the glove compartment is called a
cubby-hole. In Turkey, it is called the
torpedo compartment.