footstool

American

[foot-stool] / ˈfʊtˌstul /

noun

a low stool upon which to rest one's feet when seated.

footstool British

/ ˈfʊtˌstuːl /

noun

a low stool used for supporting or resting the feet of a seated person

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of footstool

First recorded in 1520–30; foot + stool

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

If you’re in an exit row, you might also have enough space to place a small inflatable footstool like the one from Sunany available on Amazon.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 23, 2025

Dodge that footstool on your way to this week’s Slate News Quiz.

From Slate • Dec. 15, 2023

Lanoba’s first sale was a footstool to a psychologist in Manhattan, which Balderskilde delivered to the buyer’s office.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 3, 2023

Prince William, pictured in shorts and a khaki polo shirt, is sitting on a gold footstool alongside his wife in a long-sleeved dark green summer dress.

From BBC • Dec. 10, 2021

Petra had just settled herself on a footstool with a copy of Kidnapped when she saw a long ponytail whip by.

From "Chasing Vermeer" by Blue Balliett

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023