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• Ottoman
  Ottoman

  adjective

  of or relating to the Ottoman Empire.
• ottoman
  ottoman

  noun

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

From Ottoman warriors in suits of armour to a marble palace and fighter jets, US President Donald Trump got the kind of welcome he loves in Turkey on Tuesday.

From Barron's ● Jul. 7, 2026

Politically independent, he is a descendant of the Crimean Tatars who once dominated the neighborhood alongside Albanians and Bosnians and others from “the outskirts of the Ottoman Empire.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 30, 2026

Pretzel’s lore intensified amid the Siege of Vienna in 1529, when the Ottoman Empire attempted to capture the city by digging extensive lines of trenches.

From Salon ● Apr. 28, 2026

But Frederick experienced an epiphany in 1734 after an inspirational encounter with Prince Eugene of Savoy, who had helped defeat the Ottoman Turks at Vienna in 1683 and the French at Blenheim in 1704.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 27, 2026

“My ancestors came from the Danubian Sich. In the 1700s, we were exiled from Russia and settled in parts of the Ottoman Empire. For my family, it was Bucharest and Brailov.”

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros

The deep green living room sets a bold scene: a clock worthy of Dalí, leopard prints, pink Persian rugs, a snake ottoman and a thrifted tufted chair with Art Deco vibes from CB2.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 21, 2026

Some come with an ottoman so you can hang out with someone in your group.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 27, 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

Axel doesn’t wait another second; he leaves the ottoman for Frank’s warm spot on the couch, lets Ray jump right back up into his lap.

From "A Bird Will Soar" by Alison Green Myers

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

Since the days of ancient Persia, successive world powers including the Greeks, Ottomans and Portuguese sought to control the strait.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 21, 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

Ottomans also can be used for both storage and seating.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 14, 2024

To his skill, courage, and iron will, together with a spirit of tireless energy, more than aught else, the Ottomans owed their final defeat.

From The Story of Malta by Ballou, Maturin Murray