coffee table

American

noun

a low table, usually placed in front of a sofa, for holding ashtrays, snack bowls, glasses, magazines, etc.

coffee table British

noun

a low table, on which newspapers, etc, may be placed and coffee served
(modifier) implying an emphasis on appearance and style over substance

coffee-table music

"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

Etymology

Origin of coffee table

First recorded in 1875–80

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

I sipped my cocoa before putting it on the coffee table, then buried my face in my phone like I had something important in there.

From Literature

There wasn't exactly an air of shock among members milling around the tea and coffee tables in Paisley.

From BBC

A pile of phone and computer chargers crowds a coffee table along with a familiar triangular box.

From Literature

She set her backpack against the coffee table in front of them.

From Literature

You couldn't aim yourself very well and sometimes you rolled into the coffee table by mistake and whacked your nose.

From Literature

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023