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ottoman

 - 5 dictionary results

Ot⋅to⋅man

[ot-uh-muhn] adjective, noun, plural -mans.
–adjective
1. of or pertaining to the Ottoman Empire.
2. of or pertaining to the lands, peoples, and possessions of the Ottoman Empire.
–noun
3. a Turk.
4. a Turk of the family or tribe of Osman.
5. (lowercase) a cushioned footstool.
6. (lowercase) a low cushioned seat without back or arms.
7. (lowercase) a kind of divan or sofa, with or without a back.
8. (lowercase) a corded silk or rayon fabric with large cotton cord for filling.
Also, Othman (for defs. 3, 4).


Origin:
1575–85; < F < It ottomano, after the founder of the empire (Ar ʿuthmān); in defs. 5–8 < F ottomane (fem.)


Ot⋅to⋅man⋅like, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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ot·to·man   (ŏt'ə-mən)   
n.   pl. ot·to·mans
    1. An upholstered sofa or divan without arms or a back.

    2. An upholstered low seat or cushioned footstool.

  1. A heavy silk or rayon fabric with a corded texture, usually used for coats and trimmings.


[French ottomane, feminine of ottoman, Ottoman; see Ottoman.]
Ot·to·man   (ŏt'ə-mən)   
n.   pl. Ot·to·mans
A Turk, especially a member of the family or tribe of Osman I.
adj.  
  1. Of or relating to the Ottoman Empire or its people, language, or culture.

  2. Turkish.


[French, from Italian ottomano, from Arabic 'uṯmānī, of Uthman, from 'uṯmān, Osman I.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

Ottoman 
1585, from Fr., from It. Ottomano, from Ar. 'Uthmani "of or belonging to Arabic masc. proper name 'Uthman," which in Turk. is pronounced Othman (see Osmanli), name of the founder of the dynasty and empire. Ending alt. in It. by formation of a new false singular, because -i was a pl. inflection in It. Byron used the more correct form Othman, and a few writers have followed him. The type of couch so called (1806) because one reclined on it, which was associated with Eastern customs (see couch).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Encyclopedia

ottoman

deeply upholstered seat of any shape, with or without a back, introduced into Europe in the late 18th century from Turkey, where, piled with cushions, it was the central piece of domestic seating. One of the early versions was designed as a piece of fitted furniture to go entirely around three walls of a room, and from this evolved a smaller version, designed to fit the corner of a room

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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