banquette

American  

[bang-ket, bang-kit] / bæŋˈkɛt, ˈbæŋ kɪt /

noun

1. a long bench with an upholstered seat, especially one along a wall, as in a restaurant.

2. an embankment for buttressing the base of a levee and forming a berm.

3. Chiefly Coastal Louisiana and East Texas. a sidewalk, especially a raised one of bricks or planks.

4. Fortification. a platform or step along the inside of a parapet, for soldiers to stand on when firing.

5. a ledge running across the back of a buffet.

6. a bench for passengers on top of a stagecoach.

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banquette British  

/ bæŋˈkɛt /

noun

1. an upholstered bench

2. (formerly) a raised part behind a parapet

3. a footbridge

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Etymology

Origin of banquette

1620–30; < French < Provençal banqueta, equivalent to banc bench ( bank ³ ) + -eta -ette

Example Sentences

Grabbing a seat on the gray banquette by the window, I pulled aside a blue curtain and was astounded by the view of peachy-pink clouds as we rolled across the rugged desert.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 24, 2024

His co-star Daniel Radcliffe and Mr. Radcliffe’s longtime girlfriend, the actress Erin Darke, watched from their perch on a banquette as they greeted well-wishers.

From New York Times • Jun. 17, 2024

The seat of the banquette opens up, and the kitchen table legs contain shelves.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 27, 2023

A short distance away, Hannah Einbinder, a supporting actress nominee for “Hacks,” could be spotted chatting with friends on a banquette.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 11, 2023

It was a thousand times more fun to haul real chips for old lame Susie’s real fire than to drag painted blocks along the banquette on Esplanade Street!

From "The Awakening" by Kate Chopin