English▸ noun
1 a piece of furniture with a flat top and one or more legs, providing a level surface on which objects may be placed, and that can be used for such purposes as eating, writing, working, or playing games:
she put the plate on the table.
▪ [in singular] food provided in a restaurant or household:
he was reputed to have the finest French table of the time.
▪ a group seated at table for a meal:
the whole table was in gales of laughter.
▪ (the table) a meeting place or forum for formal discussions held to settle an issue or dispute:
the negotiating table.
▪ [in singular] Bridge the dummy hand (which is exposed on the table):
they made the hand easily with the aid of a club ruff on the table.
2 a set of facts or figures systematically displayed, especially in columns:
the population has grown, as shown in table 1
a table of contents.
▪ Computing a collection of data stored in memory as a series of records, each defined by a unique key stored with it.
3 Architecture a flat, typically rectangular, vertical surface.
▪ a horizontal molding, especially a cornice.
▪ a slab of wood or stone bearing an inscription.
▪ a flat surface of a gem.
▪ a cut gem with two flat faces.
▪ each half or quarter of a folding board for backgammon.
▸ verb [with object]
– PHRASES
at table
seated at a table eating a meal.lay something on the table on the table
offered for discussion:
reverse one's position relative to someone else, especially by turning a position of disadvantage into one of advantage:
at table
seated at a table eating a meal.lay something on the table on the table
offered for discussion:
our offer remains on the table.
turn the tables reverse one's position relative to someone else, especially by turning a position of disadvantage into one of advantage:
police invited householders to a seminar on how to turn the tables on burglars.
under the table – ORIGIN Old English tabule ‘flat slab, inscribed tablet’, from Latin tabula ‘plank, tablet, list’, reinforced in Middle English by Old French table.