table

[ tey-buhl ]

/ ˈteɪ bəl /

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See synonyms for: table / tabled on Thesaurus.com

noun

an article of furniture consisting of a flat, slablike top supported on one or more legs or other supports: a kitchen table; an operating table;a pool table.

such a piece of furniture specifically used for serving food to those seated at it.

the food placed on a table to be eaten: She sets a good table.

a group of persons at a table, as for a meal, game, or business transaction.

a gaming table.

a flat or plane surface; a level area.

a tableland or plateau.

a concise list or guide: The table of contents in the front of the book includes chapter names and page numbers.

an arrangement of words, numbers, or signs, or combinations of them, as in parallel columns, to exhibit a set of facts or relations in a definite, compact, and comprehensive form; a synopsis or scheme.

Table, Astronomy. the constellation Mensa.

a flat and relatively thin piece of wood, stone, metal, or other hard substance, especially one artificially shaped for a particular purpose.

Architecture.

a course or band, especially of masonry, having a distinctive form or position.
a distinctively treated surface on a wall.

a smooth, flat board or slab on which inscriptions may be put.

tables,

the tablets on which certain collections of laws were anciently inscribed: the tables of the Decalogue.
the laws themselves.

Anatomy. the inner or outer hard layer or any of the flat bones of the skull.

Music. a sounding board.

Jewelry.

the upper horizontal surface of a faceted gem.
a gem with such a surface.

verb (used with object), ta·bled, ta·bling.

to place (a card, money, etc.) on a table.

to enter in or form into a table or list.

Parliamentary Procedure.

Chiefly U.S. to lay aside (a proposal, resolution, etc.) for future discussion, usually with a view to postponing or shelving the matter indefinitely.
British. to present (a proposal, resolution, etc.) for discussion.

adjective

of, relating to, or for use on a table: a table lamp.

suitable for serving at a table or for eating or drinking: table grapes.

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Idioms about table

on the table, Parliamentary Procedure.

U.S. postponed.
British. submitted for consideration.

turn the tables, to cause a reversal of an existing situation, especially with regard to gaining the upper hand over a competitor, rival, antagonist, etc.: Fortune turned the tables and we won. We turned the tables on them and undersold them by 50 percent.

under the table,

drunk.
as a bribe; secretly: She gave money under the table to get the apartment.

wait (on) table, to work as a waiter or waitress: He worked his way through college by waiting table. Also wait tables.

Origin of table

First recorded before 900; (noun) Middle English; Old English tabule, variant of tabula, from Latin: “plank, tablet”; (verb) late Middle English: “to record on a table, entertain at table,” derivative of the noun

OTHER WORDS FROM table

ta·ble·less, adjectiveun·ta·bled, adjective

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

How to use table in a sentence

Kabocha squash and a sauce full of fragrant warming spices make this Bengali-inspired dish a great candidate for the Thanksgiving table.
Vegetarian and vegan main dishes to anchor your Thanksgiving menu|Becky Krystal, Kari Sonde|November 20, 2020|Washington Post
Unrated during the pandemicThe platter of pork lands on the table with a sigh — mine.
At Moon Rabbit, chef Kevin Tien lures fans to the Wharf|Tom Sietsema|November 20, 2020|Washington Post
The sergeant placed a gun on a table and told Nussbaum that if he ever said anything about what happened, no one would believe him.
Boy Scouts must settle 95,000 abuse claims by next summer — or risk running out of cash|Samantha Schmidt|November 19, 2020|Washington Post
Just thinking of eight months hunched over a laptop at the kitchen table hurts.
The pandemic isn’t ending anytime soon. And our bodies are feeling the stress.|Petula Dvorak|November 19, 2020|Washington Post

With a floor plan that surrounds a central Courtyard — still open, although tables and chairs have been removed, leaving only the marble benches that surround the courtyard’s planters — there are few dead ends, keeping people moving.
You have until Nov. 22 to visit these six Smithsonian museums. Here’s what to expect.|Kelsey Ables|November 19, 2020|Washington Post
Requests from Sisley for a location to conduct the study were continually tabled.
Why Did America’s Only Pot Researcher Suddenly Get Fired?|Abby Haglage|July 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In the end, Abbas could not even get enough Security Council votes to force the U.S. to use its veto and he tabled the motion.
Opening The Door To The ICC|Danielle Spiegel Feld|November 9, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Then, yesterday, the Virginia Senate tabled a so-called personhood bill.
As Virginia Ultrasound Rule Fails, Is GOP Seeing Reproductive-Rights Backlash?|Michelle Goldberg|February 24, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The Sunday Mirror claims that bids as high as $450,000 have already been tabled.
U.S. TV Heavyweights Wrestle for First Pippa Middleton Interview|Tom Sykes|January 29, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Aside from an occasional strip-club foray, Phoenix appears to have tabled his hip-hop aspirations.
Joaquin Phoenix's Great Practical Joke|Gina Piccalo|August 22, 2010|DAILY BEAST
After prolonged discussion the matter was again tabled with a view to future consideration.
The Journal of Negro History, Volume 5, 1920|Various
This enabled me to get the driver tabled before a tall glass of steaming coffee with a petit verre.
Riviera Towns|Herbert Adams Gibbons
Fig. 219 is a tabled scarf joint which admirably resists tension and compression.
Woodwork Joints|William Fairham
While in turn you watch them, the entire apartment is tabled and table-clothed.
Club Life of London, Volume II (of 2)|John Timbs
Attorney-General tabled batch of Amendments which transmogrified the Measure.
Punch's Almanack for 1890|Various

British Dictionary definitions for table

table

/ (ˈteɪbəl) /

noun

a flat horizontal slab or board, usually supported by one or more legs, on which objects may be placedRelated adjective: mensal

such a slab or board on which food is servedwe were six at table
(as modifier)table linen
(in combination)a tablecloth

food as served in a particular household or restauranta good table

such a piece of furniture specially designed for any of various purposesa backgammon table; bird table

a company of persons assembled for a meal, game, etc
(as modifier)table talk

any flat or level area, such as a plateau

a rectangular panel set below or above the face of a wall

architect another name for cordon (def. 4)

an upper horizontal facet of a cut gem

music the sounding board of a violin, guitar, or similar stringed instrument

an arrangement of words, numbers, or signs, usually in parallel columns, to display data or relationsa table of contents
See multiplication table

a tablet on which laws were inscribed by the ancient Romans, the Hebrews, etc

palmistry an area of the palm's surface bounded by four lines

printing a slab of smooth metal on which ink is rolled to its proper consistency

either of the two bony plates that form the inner and outer parts of the flat bones of the cranium
any thin flat plate, esp of bone

on the table put forward for discussion and acceptancewe currently have our final offer on the table

turn the tables on someone to cause a complete reversal of circumstances, esp to defeat or get the better of someone who was previously in a stronger position

verb (tr)

to place on a table

British to submit (a bill, etc) for consideration by a legislative body

US to suspend discussion of (a bill, etc) indefinitely or for some time

to enter in or form into a list; tabulate

Derived forms of table

tableful, nountableless, adjective

Word Origin for table

C12: via Old French from Latin tabula a writing tablet

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with table

table

see clear out (the table); lay one's cards on the table; on the table; set the table; turn the tables; under the table; wait at table.

table

Idioms about table

Origin of table

OTHER WORDS FROM table

Words related to table

How to use table in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for table

Derived forms of table

Word Origin for table

Other Idioms and Phrases with table