tabletop

American  

[tey-buhl-top] / ˈteɪ bəlˌtɒp /

noun

• tabletops
  plural

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.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• tabletops
  plural

Etymology

Origin of tabletop

First recorded in 1800–10; table + top ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

tabletop tabletops

Although the central microchip is only about the size of a grain of rice, the entire system currently occupies a tabletop laboratory setup.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 24, 2026

My glass of vermút sweats down to the turquoise tabletop.

From Salon ● Aug. 11, 2026

UK-based Games Workshop previously announced Warhammer superfan Henry Cavill would produce and star in TV and film projects based on the miniature tabletop wargame.

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

In addition, Caldwell said he added 9,000 new touch screens in the kitchens, designed to simplify order prioritization for cooks and added new tabletop payment devices.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

Then I started the old swinging routine, back and forth, swinging a little higher each time until I reached the tabletop.

From "The World According to Humphrey" by Betty G. Birney

Your television itself may be obsolete, replaced by wraparound digital glasses or interactive tabletops that transform how you watch the Super Bowl, the World Cup or Wimbledon.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026

Even the lounge area is carefully designed for those looking to just enjoy a cocktail, with mosaic tabletops and another piece by Claudia Wieser hanging over the bar.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 10, 2025

But Farmer, Li, and colleagues only cleaned horizontal surfaces like floors and tabletops, not the walls and ceilings, which may be where the remaining emissions originated.

From National Geographic ● Oct. 13, 2023

As for the tabletops, they are ceramic, rendered in high-gloss reds and blues that mirror the surfaces of the region’s lakes.

From New York Times ● Apr. 11, 2023

Magdalys noticed newspapers scattered around on the tabletops and a bookshelf along one wall, overflowing with hardcover novels.

From "Dactyl Hill Squad" by Daniel José Older