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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

While the ad for the in-universe furniture store Cap’n Clark’s Ottoman Empire plays, a phone number with a South Bay area code flashes in a supertitle.

From Salon ● Jun. 8, 2026

Rothschild, who had already spent years financing agricultural colonies in Ottoman Palestine, regarded Herzl as an energetic but naive dreamer ignorant of the difficult realities on the ground.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 7, 2026

Croatian band Lelek also wore face paint, with symbols representing the resistance of Catholic women during the Ottoman Empire, a topic they addressed with haunting folkloric harmonies on their song Andromeda.

From BBC ● May 17, 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

Also on the list are the punitive armies of Rome, the fecklessness of Byzantium, Ottoman indifference, and British gunboats.

From "Circumference" by Nicholas Nicastro

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

The clip sees Rowland, 43, and her crew relaxing in a vibrant room, decked out with a brightly patterned rug, a spacious couch, multiple plush chairs, a blue velvet ottoman and more.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 20, 2024

It twiddles along for a minute through the air and lands on the brown ottoman, which enrages my mother because it didn’t fall fast enough or land hard enough.

From "Landscape with Invisible Hand" by M.T. Anderson

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

America’s allies worry other players could try to replicate Iran’s example, like empires of the 17th century, when China’s Qing dynasty, the Ottomans and Portuguese taxed passing vessels.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 11, 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

As Requesens was to take part in the expedition against the Ottomans, the office of captain-general was placed in the hands of the valiant duke of Arcos.

From History of The Reign of Philip The Second King of Spain Volume The Third and Biographical & Critical Miscellanies by Prescott, William Hickling