tabletop

American  

[tey-buhl-top] / ˈteɪ bəlˌtɒp /

noun

1. a surface forming or suggesting the top of a table.

2. a photograph of an arrangement of objects on top of a table.

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adjective

1. intended for use on the top of a table or the like.

2. noting or relating to an arrangement of objects, especially miniatures or models, as would be appropriate to the top of a table.

3. noting or relating to a type of game that requires the physical presence of players and the manipulation of game pieces, in contrast to video games.

Etymology

Origin of tabletop

First recorded in 1800–10; table + top ¹

Example Sentences

To investigate this possibility, the researchers designed a tabletop experiment with a two-dimensional array of freely rotating magnetic elements positioned above a second magnetic layer.

From Science Daily • Mar. 22, 2026

Harnett adopted the traditional pyramidal structure of Dutch tabletop paintings for “Ease,” at 48 by 60 inches one of his largest and most ambitious works.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 28, 2025

The menu includes tabletop grills piled high with grilled short ribs, flap meat, sausage, beef sweetbreads, black sausage, and other deliciousness.

From Salon • Sep. 29, 2025

She puts one of them, from 1929, on the tabletop in her kitchen.

From BBC • Jul. 12, 2025

At the farthest table, a woman sitting alone slapped the tabletop.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith