an article of furniture consisting of a flat, slablike top supported on one or more legs or other supports: a kitchen table; an operating table; a pool table.
such a piece of furniture specifically used for serving food to those seated at it.
the food placed on a table to be eaten: She sets a good table.
a group of persons at a table, as for a meal, game, or business transaction.
a gaming table.
a flat or plane surface; a level area.
a tableland or plateau.
a concise list or guide: The table of contents in the front of the book includes chapter names and page numbers.
an arrangement of words, numbers, or signs, or combinations of them, as in parallel columns, to exhibit a set of facts or relations in a definite, compact, and comprehensive form; a synopsis or scheme.
(initial capital letter)Astronomy. the constellation Mensa.
a flat and relatively thin piece of wood, stone, metal, or other hard substance, especially one artificially shaped for a particular purpose.
Architecture.
a course or band, especially of masonry, having a distinctive form or position.
a distinctively treated surface on a wall.
a smooth, flat board or slab on which inscriptions may be put.
tables,
the tablets on which certain collections of laws were anciently inscribed: the tables of the Decalogue.
the laws themselves.
Anatomy. the inner or outer hard layer or any of the flat bones of the skull.
Music. a sounding board.
Jewelry.
the upper horizontal surface of a faceted gem.
a gem with such a surface.
verb (used with object),ta·bled,ta·bling.
to place (a card, money, etc.) on a table.
to enter in or form into a table or list.
Parliamentary Procedure.
Chiefly U.S.to lay aside (a proposal, resolution, etc.) for future discussion, usually with a view to postponing or shelving the matter indefinitely.
British.to present (a proposal, resolution, etc.) for discussion.
adjective
of, relating to, or for use on a table: a table lamp.
suitable for serving at a table or for eating or drinking: table grapes.
Idioms for table
on the table, Parliamentary Procedure.
U.S.postponed.
British.submitted for consideration.
turn the tables, to cause a reversal of an existing situation, especially with regard to gaining the upper hand over a competitor, rival, antagonist, etc.: Fortune turned the tables and we won. We turned the tables on them and undersold them by 50 percent.
under the table,
drunk.
as a bribe; secretly: She gave money under the table to get the apartment.
wait (on) table, to work as a waiter or waitress: He worked his way through college by waiting table.Also wait tables.
Origin of table
before 900; (noun) Middle English; Old English tabule, variant of tabula<Latin: plank, tablet; (v.) late Middle English: to record on a table, entertain at table, derivative of the noun
If primary producers captured one percent of the incipient solar energy, then those were the chips on the table to get passed around.
Dawn of the Heliocene - Issue 90: Something Green|Summer Praetorius|September 16, 2020|Nautilus
We don’t actually come together at the same table until the script is complete.
‘Antebellum’ explores truths of our ugly past|Brian T. Carney|September 16, 2020|Washington Blade
Net-neutrality advocates took that as a victory, but it is only now that the CJEU has confirmed that zero rating is off the table.
The EU’s top court just closed a major loophole in Europe’s net-neutrality rules|David Meyer|September 15, 2020|Fortune
I think we have a resolution that will allow us to process next week and put protein on America’s table.
Emails Show the Meatpacking Industry Drafted an Executive Order to Keep Plants Open|by Michael Grabell and Bernice Yeung|September 14, 2020|ProPublica
Our tables ended up being next to each other’s, so we kept talking.
Making Poly Less of a Pain in the Ass|Eugene Robinson|September 14, 2020|Ozy
He gets up and goes over to their table and introduces himself, and he says, ‘Hello, I’m Oliver Reed.
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile|Robert Ward|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
That means any response that could result in physical damage inside North Korea is off the table.
Cyberwar on North Korea Could Be Illegal|Shane Harris|December 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A table creaking under the weight of a Christmas banquet, a classic celebration of binge eating and drinking.
How Dickens and Scrooge Saved Christmas|Clive Irving|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Targeting her upper back, Couple sat cross-legged on a table while she whipped her slave.
Dungeons and Genital Clamps: Inside a Legendary BDSM Chateau|Ian Frisch|December 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Det. 2: (slamming his hand on the table and yelling) You hung her!
How the U.S. Justice System Screws Prisoners with Disabilities|Elizabeth Picciuto|December 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The servant followed with the two cases and the bag, and laid them upon the table, then placed himself at the door.
Frederick The Great and His Family|L. Muhlbach
A piece of old carpet was my saddle, and served me likewise for a seat, a table, and various other purposes.
Travels in Arabia|Bayard Taylor
The voice from the head of the table was one of controlled impatience.
Flamsted quarries|Mary E. Waller
For the making of the table top see edge-to-edge joint, p. 172.
Handwork in Wood|William Noyes
The table was placed under a stairway, just room for the four of us.
The Greater Love|George T. McCarthy
British Dictionary definitions for table
table
/ (ˈteɪbəl) /
noun
a flat horizontal slab or board, usually supported by one or more legs, on which objects may be placedRelated adjective: mensal
such a slab or board on which food is servedwe were six at table
(as modifier)table linen
(in combination)a tablecloth
food as served in a particular household or restauranta good table
such a piece of furniture specially designed for any of various purposesa backgammon table; bird table
a company of persons assembled for a meal, game, etc
(as modifier)table talk
any flat or level area, such as a plateau
a rectangular panel set below or above the face of a wall
architect another name for cordon (def. 4)
an upper horizontal facet of a cut gem
musicthe sounding board of a violin, guitar, or similar stringed instrument
an arrangement of words, numbers, or signs, usually in parallel columns, to display data or relationsa table of contents
See multiplication table
a tablet on which laws were inscribed by the ancient Romans, the Hebrews, etc
palmistryan area of the palm's surface bounded by four lines
printinga slab of smooth metal on which ink is rolled to its proper consistency
either of the two bony plates that form the inner and outer parts of the flat bones of the cranium
any thin flat plate, esp of bone
on the tableput forward for discussion and acceptancewe currently have our final offer on the table
turn the tables on someoneto cause a complete reversal of circumstances, esp to defeat or get the better of someone who was previously in a stronger position
verb(tr)
to place on a table
Britishto submit (a bill, etc) for consideration by a legislative body
USto suspend discussion of (a bill, etc) indefinitely or for some time
to enter in or form into a list; tabulate
Derived forms of table
tableful, nountableless, adjective
Word Origin for table
C12: via Old French from Latin tabula a writing tablet