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settee

 - 4 dictionary results

set⋅tee

[set-tee]
–noun
a seat for two or more persons, having a back and usually arms, and often upholstered.

Origin:
1710–20; perh. var. of settle 2
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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set·tee   (sě-tē')   
n.  
  1. A long wooden bench with a back.

  2. A small or medium-sized sofa.


[Perhaps alteration of settle, bench.]
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

settee 
"long seat with back and arms," 1716, perhaps a variant of settle (n.), or a dim. of set (v.) "act of setting."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Encyclopedia

settee

an upholstered seat with back and arms (sometimes upholstered), designed to accommodate two or more people in a sitting or reclining position. The earliest surviving types, dating back to the 17th century in Europe, have sides that let down for conversion into a bed. Variations of backrests and armrests appeared, and the precedent, still followed in the 21st century, was established of making the settee part of a matched set of chairs.

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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