Definition of table

What does the word table mean?

• part of speech: noun, transitive verb

  Article of furniture consisting of flat top of wood or marble &c. & one or more usu. vertical supports esp. one on which meals are laid out, articles of use or ornament kept, work done, or games played; breakfast, luncheon, dinner, tea, supper, -t., t. used for such meals or on which such meal is laid out (at t., while taking meal at t., as refuse to talk politics at t.); each half of folding backgammon-t.; billiard-t. (for billiards. with slate top covered with green cloth); LORD\'s, ROUND, KNEE-hole, DRESSING-, TOILET-, t.; part of machine-tool on which work is put to be operated on; slab of wood, stone, &c.; matter written on this, esp. the two tt. or the tt. of the law or covenant or testimony, ten commandments, the twelve tables, laws promulgated in Rome 451-0 B. C., principal source of Roman jurisprudence; level area, plateau; (Archit.) flat usu. rectangular surface, horizontal moulding esp. cornice; flat, surface of gem, cut gem with two flat faces; (Palmistry) palm, esp. part indicating character or fortune; each of two bony layers of skull; company seated at (dinner- &c.) t., as kept the t. amused; (quantity& quality of) food provided at t., as keeps a good t., expenses of his t.; list of facts, numbers, &c., systematically arranged esp. in columns, matter contained in this, as mathematical tt. (of logarithms, trigonometrical ratios, &c.), tt. of weights& measures, knows his multiplication t. up to 12 times 12, t. of (i. e. prohibited) DEGREEs, t. of CONTENTs; lay, lie, on the t., postpone (measure, report, &c., in Parliament &c.), be postponed, indefinitely; turn the tt. (on person or abs.), reverse relations (between), esp. pass from inferior to superior position; t.-beer, ordinary beer used at t.; t.-book, ornamental usu. illustrated book kept on t.; t.-clamp (for fastening thing to t.); t.-cloth (of white linen &c. for use at meals, of coloured material for use at other times); t.-cut, (of gem) cut with flat top; t.-flap, hinged end of t.-top, lowered when not in use; t.-knife, steel knife for use at t.; t.-land, extensive elevated region with level surface, plateau; t.-leaf, piece that may be inserted in top of t. to increase its length, also, t.-flap; t.-lifting, -moving, -rapping, -tipping, -turning, lifting &c. of t. apparently without physical force, as spiritualistic phenomenon; t.-linen, t.-cloths, napkins, &c.; t.-money, allowance to higher officers in army& navy for official hospitality, charge to members of club for use of dining-room; t.-SPOON; t.-talk, miscellaneous talk at t. (often as title of book); t.-tomb, flat-topped chest-like tomb in Roman catacombs; t.-ware (for use at t.). Hence tableful n. (Vb) lay (measure &c., as above) on the t.; set (timbers) together with alternate grooves& projections in each to prevent shifting; strengthen (sail) with wide hems. Hence tabling (1, 2) n. [old French]