coffee table

American  

noun

• coffee tables
  plural

1. a low table, usually placed in front of a sofa, for holding ashtrays, snack bowls, glasses, magazines, etc.

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coffee table British  

noun

1. a low table, on which newspapers, etc, may be placed and coffee served

2. (modifier) implying an emphasis on appearance and style over substance

   coffee-table music

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• coffee tables
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of coffee table

First recorded in 1875–80

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

coffee table

“Not that many people want coffee table art books,” said Margit Novack, founding president of the National Association of Senior and Specialty Move Managers, a professional group helping older adults organize, declutter, downsize and relocate.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026

Down the street from Bar Roma at a high-end furniture store, retired lawyer Alice Withaar, 65 years old, was looking for a sofa, a coffee table and two side chairs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026

The “living room” was furnished with what appeared to be a bookshelf, plants, a coffee table, an armchair, a desk chair and even paintings on the walls.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026

When did you last buy a hardback and what was it – a cookbook, a coffee table book or fiction?

From BBC ● May 24, 2026

There’s a large coffee table that has all these cool things on it.

From "Finding Junie Kim" by Ellen Oh

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