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sofa

 - 4 dictionary results

so⋅fa

[soh-fuh]
–noun
a long, upholstered couch with a back and two arms or raised ends.

Origin:
1615–25; < Turk < Ar ṣuffah platform used as a seat
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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so·fa   (sō'fə)   
n.  A long upholstered seat typically with a back and arms.

[Turkish, from Arabic ṣuffa, carpet, divan, from Aramaic ṣippā, absolute form of ṣippətā, mat; see ṣpp in Semitic roots.]
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

sofa 
1625, "raised section of a floor, covered with carpets and cushions," from Turk. sofa, from Ar. suffah "bench." Meaning "long stuffed seat for reclining" is recorded from 1717.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Encyclopedia

sofa

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.

Learn more about sofa with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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