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• Ottoman
  Ottoman

  adjective

  of or relating to the Ottoman Empire.
• ottoman
  ottoman

Ottoman

American  

[ot-uh-muhn] / ˈɒt ə mən /

adjective

1. of or relating to the Ottoman Empire.

2. of or relating to the lands, peoples, and possessions of the Ottoman Empire.

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noun

• Ottomans
  plural

1. a Turk.

2. a Turk of the family or tribe of Osman.

3. (lowercase) a cushioned footstool.

4. (lowercase) a low cushioned seat without back or arms.

5. (lowercase) a kind of divan or sofa, with or without a back.

6. (lowercase) a corded silk or rayon fabric with large cotton cord for filling.

ottoman ¹ British  

/ ˈɒtəmən /

noun

1. 1. a low padded seat, usually armless, sometimes in the form of a chest

   2. a cushioned footstool

2. a corded fabric

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Ottoman ² British  

/ ˈɒtəmən /

adjective

1. history of or relating to the Ottomans or the Ottoman Empire

2. denoting or relating to the Turkish language

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noun

1. a member of a Turkish people who invaded the Near East in the late 13th century

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• Ottomanlike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• Ottomans
  plural

Etymology

Origin of Ottoman

1575–85; < French < Italian ottomano, after the founder of the empire ( Arabic ʿuthmān ); Ottoman defs. 5, 6, 7, 8 < French ottomane (feminine)

Explanation

Your dad's favorite cushioned spot to rest his feet can be referred to as an ottoman — it's also known as a hassock or a footstool. This word may conjure anything from a vast empire to a footstool — it's all the same word, ultimately from the Arabic personal name Othman (which loses a lot, soundwise, in translation). The puffy footstools known as ottomans were allegedly originally a component of said empire's comforts.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Ottoman ottoman Ottomans

First used by Ottoman military "mehter" bands to frighten and demoralise the enemy, cymbals were a useful tool for an empire on the warpath.

From Barron's ● Aug. 6, 2026

There was serious discontent in the Ottoman camp.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

There were many in the Ottoman camp who would not have been displeased to see him fail.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

Popularly known as the "White Palace", the vast complex cost around $615 million when it was built in 2014, and draws its architectural inspiration from Turkey's Ottoman and Seljuk heritage.

From Barron's ● Jul. 7, 2026

With the breakup of the Ottoman Empire and the release of Arab lands from Turkish rule, that oil-rich region was divided into spheres of British and French influence.

From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman

A chair he designed is known as the Platner chair and still sells, with its ottoman, for as much as $18,000.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 6, 2026

We would also lose one of TV’s most unforgettable opening sequences highlighted by Van Dyke’s Rob Petrie tumbling over an ottoman, then springing to his feet with a grin.

From Salon ● Dec. 13, 2025

The stool or ottoman comes with four different cushions resembling giant, fruit-toned softballs that can be swapped out.

From New York Times ● Apr. 15, 2024

The clip sees Rowland, 43, and her crew relaxing in a vibrant room, decked out with a brightly patterned rug, a spacious couch, multiple plush chairs, a blue velvet ottoman and more.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 20, 2024

Henry Lynn has taken possession of an ottoman at the feet of Louisa: Adèle shares it with him: he is trying to talk French with her, and Louisa laughs at his blunders.

From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë

Meanwhile the empire’s Italian allies still had the upper hand at sea—even at the height of the siege the Ottomans could not prevent ships from leaving or arriving.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

For thousands of years, the ancient city of Sardis in western Turkey changed hands as Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, and Ottomans rose and fell.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 25, 2026

Ottomans provide storage not only for Hedda’s guns but also for her secrets.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 25, 2026

Maps showing the full reach of the Indian Empire were only published in top secrecy, and the Arabian territories were left off public documents to avoid provoking the Ottomans or later the Saudis.

From BBC ● Jun. 21, 2025

From 1209 it stood under Venetian control; in 1470 it passed to the Ottomans, who made it the seat of a pasha.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 7 "Cerargyrite" to "Charing Cross" by Various