Table (furniture)

Structure of a typical table

A wooden dining table and chairs

Solid wood dining table

A table is a form of furniture with a flat and satisfactory horizontal upper surface used to support objects of interest, for storage, show, and/or manipulation.^[1] The surface must be held stable; for reasons of simplicity, this is done by support from below by either a column, a "base" or at least three columnar "stands".

A table is also known as a bar, a bench, a board, a bureau, a desk, a lectern and a pulpit.^[2]

Common design elements include:

rectangular, rounded, or semi-circular top surfaces
legs arranged in two or more similar pairs
several geometries of folding table that can be emptied and then collapsed into a smaller volume
heights ranging up and down from the most common 18-to-30-inch range, often reflecting the height ofchairs or bar stools used as seating for people making use of a table, as for eating or performing various manipulations of objects resting on a table
presence or absence of drawers
expansion of the surface by insertion of leaves or locking hinged drop leaf sections into horizontal position.

Desks are tables specifically intended for information-manipulation tasks, including writing and use of interactive electronics.

[edit]
The term "table" is derived from a merger of French table and Old English tabele, ultimately from the Latinword tabula, "a board, plank, flat top piece". In Late Latin, tabula took over the meaning previously reserved to mensa (preserved in Spanish and Portuguese mesa "table"). In Old English, the word was bord, replaced by "table" for this meaning.^[3]Etymology

[edit]Shape, height, and function

A formally laid table set with a dinner service

Tables come in a wide variety of materials, shapes, and heights dependent upon their origin, style, and intended use. All tables are composed of a flat surface and a base with one or more supports (legs). A glass dining table with a single, central foot is a pedestal table. Tables can be freestanding or designed for placement against a wall (a console table). Table tops can be in virtually any shape, although rectangular,square, round (e.g., the round table), and oval tops are the most frequent. Long tables often have extra legs for support. Others have higher surfaces for personal use while either standing or sitting on a tall stool.

Many tables have tops that can be adjusted to change their height, position, shape or size, either with foldable extensions or sliding parts that can alter the shape of the top. Some tables are entirely foldable for easy transportation, e.g., camping. Small tables in trains and aircraft may be fixed or foldable, although many are simply convenient shelves rather than tables.

[edit]Types of tables

A chess table with a chessboardbuilt into its top

A combination of a table with two benches (picnic table) as often seen at camping sites and other outdoor facilities

A chic table in an Iranian palace

Tables of various shapes, colours, heights and sizes are designed for specific uses:

A bedside table, nightstand, or night table.^[4]

is a small table used in a bedroom. It is often used for convenient placement of a small lamp, alarm clock,glasses, or other personal items.

A drawing table^[5]usually has a top that can be tilted for making a large or technical drawing. It might have a ruler or similar element integrated.
A gateleg table.^[6]

has one or two hinged leaves supported by hinged legs.

A coffee table ^[7] is a low table designed for use in a living room, in front of a sofa, for convenient placement of drinks, books, or other personal items.
A chess table ^[8] is a type of games table that integrates a chessboard.
A refectory table ^[9] is a long table designed to seat many people for meals.
A dining room table^[10] is a table designed to be used for formal dining.

A modern Brazilian stainless steel table made with FSC-certified eucalyptus

Historically, various types of tables have been popular for other uses:

Loo tables were very popular in the 18th and 19th centuries as candlestands, tea tables, or small dining tables, although they were originally made for the popular card game called loo or lanterloo. Their typically round or oval tops have a tilting mechanism, which enables them to be stored out of the way (e.g., in room corners) when not in use. A further development in this direction was the "birdcage" table, the top of which could both revolve and tilt.
Pembroke tables were first introduced during the 18th century and were popular throughout the 19th century. Their main characteristic was a rectangular or oval top with folding or drop leaves on each side. Most examples have one or more drawers and four legs sometimes connected by stretchers. Their design meant they could easily be stored or moved about and conveniently opened for serving tea, dining, writing, or other occasional uses.
Sofa tables are similar to Pembroke tables and usually have longer and narrower tops. They were specifically designed for placement directly in front of sofas for serving tea, writing, dining, or other convenient uses. Generally speaking, a sofa table is a tall, narrow table used behind a sofa to hold lamps or decorative objects.
Work tables were small tables designed to hold sewing materials and implements, providing a convenient work place for women who sewed. They appeared during the 18th century and were popular throughout the 19th century. Most examples have rectangular tops, sometimes with folding leaves, and usually one or more drawers fitted with partitions. Early examples typically have four legs, often standing on casters, while later examples sometimes have turned columns or other forms of support.
Drum tables are round tables introduced for writing, with drawers around the platform.
End tables are small tables typically placed beside couches or armchairs. Often lamps will be placed on an end table.
Billiards tables are bounded tables on which billiards-type games are played. All provide a flat surface, usually composed of slate and covered with cloth, elevated above the ground.
Table tennis tables are usually masonite or a similar timber, layered with a smooth low-friction coating. It is divided into two halves by a low net, which separates opposing players.
Poker tables are used to play poker.

[edit]History

Roman richly ornate legs

Some very early tables were made and used by the Egyptians, and were little more than stone platforms used to keep objects off the floor. They were not used for seating people. Food and drinks were usually put on large plates deposed on a pedestal for eating. The Egyptians made use of various small tables and elevated playing boards. The Chinese also created very early tables in order to pursue the arts of writing and painting.

The Greeks and Romans made more frequent use of tables, notably for eating, although Greek tables were pushed under a bed after use. The Greeks invented a piece of furniture very similar to the guéridon. Tables were made of marble or wood and metal (typically bronze or silver alloys), sometimes with richly ornate legs. Later, the larger rectangular tables were made of separate platforms and pillars. The Romans also introduced a large, semicircular table to Italy, the mensa lunata.

Furniture during the Middle Ages is not as well known as that of earlier or later periods, and most sources show the types used by the nobility. In the Eastern Roman Empire, tables were made of metal or wood, usually with four feet and frequently linked by x-shaped stretchers. Tables for eating were large and often round or semicircular. A combination of a small round table and a lectern seemed very popular as a writing table.^[11] In western Europe, the invasions and internecine wars caused most of the knowledge inherited from the classical era to be lost. As a result of the necessary movability, most tables were simple trestle tables, although small round tables made from joinery reappeared during the 15th century and onward. In the Gothic era, the chest became widespread and was often used as a table.

Refectory tables first appeared at least as early as the 17th century, as an advancement of the trestle table; these tables were typically quite long and wide and capable of supporting a sizeable banquet in the great hall or other reception room of a castle.