settee
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of settee
First recorded in 1710–20; perhaps variant of settle 2
Explanation
A settee is similar to a loveseat, an upholstered piece of furniture that's big enough for more than one person to sit on. If you don't have enough comfortable places to sit in your apartment, you might consider buying a settee. The definition of a settee is essentially the same as a sofa: an upholstered bench with a back and arms. It's more commonly used in Britain than the U.S., and has an old-fashioned sound to it, but you can use this word to describe your loveseat or couch if you like: "Come sit on the settee with me!" Etymologists' best guess about the word's origin is that settee is related to settle, "sit comfortably."
Vocabulary lists containing settee
The Ottoman Empire: Furniture Words
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A Monster Calls
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The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Jimenez likes a backless settee or daybed placed in front of a fireplace, so people can admire the flames facing one way and turn to converse with others in the opposite direction.
From Seattle Times • Mar. 8, 2024
Wright Auctions, a leading venue for the sales of contemporary design goods, has fetched five-figure deals for a Hans Wegner desk, a George Nakashima settee and a chair designed by Charles Eames and Eero Saarinen.
From New York Times • Mar. 29, 2023
The fabulous settee is, unfortunately, a one-off, but it is very inviting.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2023
"I'm not a serial renter, I have a lot of stuff and that won't help, and some properties are so tiny I can't even get a settee in it," she said.
From BBC • Mar. 19, 2023
Then he let go of the door and grabbed the back of a nearby settee for support.
From "The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: Book I: The Mysterious Howling" by Maryrose Wood
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
