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

Etymology

Origin of coffee table

First recorded in 1875–80

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

coffee table

Boxes of tissues sit on a coffee table in a front room at Legacy Independent Funeral Directors.

From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026

“There’s some incredible artwork on that building, and we are paying respect to the graffiti artists” with a planned coffee table book, he said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026

On the coffee table lay a large format book titled “The World’s Most Beautiful Paintings,” or something similar.

From Salon ● Apr. 19, 2026

On a notebook on her coffee table, she wrote Cynthia Renee Ortiz, doodling hearts around her prospective married name.

From Slate ● Apr. 6, 2026

Laura was setting down two plates on the coffee table, each one laden with chocolate chip pancakes, a bowl of strawberries, and a floof of whipped cream.

From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman