divan

[ dih-van, -vahn or, especially for 1, dahy-van ]

See synonyms for divan on Thesaurus.com

noun

a sofa or couch, usually without arms or back, often usable as a bed.
a long, cushioned seat, usually without arms or back, placed against a wall, as in Asian countries.

a council of state in Turkey and other countries of the Middle East.
any council, committee, or commission.
(in the Middle East)
- a council chamber, judgment hall, audience chamber, or bureau of state.
- a large building used for some official or public purpose, as a custom house.
a smoking room, as in connection with a tobacco shop.
a collection of poems, especially a collection in Arabic or Persian of poems by one poet.

Origin of divan

First recorded in 1580–90; from Ottoman Turkish dīvān “state council,” from Arabic dīwān, from Persian dīwān, originally dēvan “booklet” (whence “account book, archive, office, council, bench”)

Words Nearby divan

Other definitions for divan (2 of 2)

divan²

[ dih-van ]

adjective

(especially of chicken or turkey breast) sliced and baked in a casserole with broccoli and hollandaise sauce.

Origin of divan

First recorded in 1935–40; named after its place of origin, the Divan Parisienne Restaurant, in the Chatham Hotel, Manhattan, New York; see divine

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use divan in a sentence

Howard moved unsteadily to the divan in his Capitol Hill home and stared at the fire burning in the grate.
‘Purity’ was one of Hollywood’s most controversial films. Meet its D.C. writer. | John Kelly | January 11, 2021 | Washington Post
I carried her to the divan, and went to look for him, but he was not in the house, and the servants were gone to bed.
Read ‘The King in Yellow,’ the ‘True Detective’ Reference That’s the Key to the Show | Robert W. Chambers | February 20, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Marlon Brando yelled at the audience about dead children from a divan clad in a purple muumuu.
My Brush With the King of Pop | Gideon Yago | June 26, 2009 | THE DAILY BEAST
Sir Lucien threw himself nonchalantly upon the divan, and took out his cigarette-case.
Dope | Sax Rohmer
On a shelf above the divan, however, were many books, and Gwynne ran his eye over them.
Ancestors | Gertrude Atherton

Monte Irvin, very pale and haggard, sat upon the divan beside Quentin Gray.
Dope | Sax Rohmer
The present Great Mogul has so little taste, that he has had this divan divided into two parts by a very paltry partition wall.
A Woman's Journey Round the World | Ida Pfeiffer
The rich old piano and Maud's guitar occupied one corner, and a low, velvet divan the other, on each side of the mantel.
A Fortune Hunter; Or, The Old Stone Corral | John Dunloe Carteret

British Dictionary definitions for divan

divan

/ (dɪˈvæn) /

noun

- a backless sofa or couch, designed to be set against a wall
- a bed resembling such a couch
(esp formerly) a room for smoking and drinking, as in a coffee shop

- a Muslim law court, council chamber, or counting house
- a Muslim council of state
a collection of poems
(in Muslim law) an account book

Origin of divan

C16: from Turkish dīvān, from Persian dīwān

Also called (for senses 2–5): diwan

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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