Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

ta·ble       (tā'bəl)  Pronunciation Key  n.   An article of furniture supported by one or more vertical legs and having a flat horizontal surface. The objects laid out for a meal on this article of furniture. Either of the leaves of a backgammon board. tables Obsolete The game of backgammon. A flat facet cut across the top of a precious stone. A stone or gem cut in this fashion. The front part of the body of a stringed instrument. The sounding board of a harp. A raised or sunken rectangular panel on a wall. A raised horizontal surface or continuous band on an exterior wall; a stringcourse. The food and drink served at meals; fare: kept an excellent table. The company of people assembled around a table, as for a meal. Games A piece of furniture serving as a playing surface, as for faro, roulette, or dice. Often used in the plural. Games Either of the leaves of a backgammon board. tables Obsolete The game of backgammon. A flat facet cut across the top of a precious stone. A stone or gem cut in this fashion. The front part of the body of a stringed instrument. The sounding board of a harp. A raised or sunken rectangular panel on a wall. A raised horizontal surface or continuous band on an exterior wall; a stringcourse. A plateau or tableland. A flat facet cut across the top of a precious stone. A stone or gem cut in this fashion. The front part of the body of a stringed instrument. The sounding board of a harp. A raised or sunken rectangular panel on a wall. A raised horizontal surface or continuous band on an exterior wall; a stringcourse. Music The front part of the body of a stringed instrument. The sounding board of a harp. A raised or sunken rectangular panel on a wall. A raised horizontal surface or continuous band on an exterior wall; a stringcourse. Architecture A raised or sunken rectangular panel on a wall. A raised horizontal surface or continuous band on an exterior wall; a stringcourse. A part of the human palm framed by four lines, analyzed in palmistry. An orderly arrangement of data, especially one in which the data are arranged in columns and rows in an essentially rectangular form. An abbreviated list, as of contents; a synopsis. An engraved slab or tablet bearing an inscription or a device. Anatomy The inner or outer flat layer of bones of the skull separated by the diploe. tables A system of laws or decrees; a code: the tables of Moses. tr.v.   ta·bled, ta·bling, ta·bles To put or place on a table. To postpone consideration of (a piece of legislation, for example); shelve. To enter in a list or table; tabulate. [Middle English, from Old French, from Latin tabula, board.]

Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
table  (n.)

Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
table  (v.)

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

table
noun
1.	a set of data arranged in rows and columns; "see table 1"
2.	a piece of furniture having a smooth flat top that is usually supported by one or more vertical legs; "it was a sturdy table"
3.	a piece of furniture with tableware for a meal laid out on it; "I reserved a table at my favorite restaurant"
4.	flat tableland with steep edges; "the tribe was relatively safe on the mesa but they had to descend into the valley for water" [syn: mesa]
5.	a company of people assembled at a table for a meal or game; "he entertained the whole table with his witty remarks"
6.	food or meals in general; "she sets a fine table"; "room and board" [syn: board]
verb
1.	hold back to a later time; "let's postpone the exam"
2.	arrange or enter in tabular form

American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms - Cite This Source - Share This

table

see clear out (the table); lay one's cards on the table; on the table; set the table; turn the tables; under the table; wait at table.

American Heritage Stedman's Medical Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

table ta·ble (tā'bəl)
n.

1. An article of furniture supported by one or more vertical legs and having a flat horizontal surface.
2. An orderly arrangement of data, especially one in which the data are arranged in columns and rows in an essentially rectangular form.
3. An abbreviated list, as of contents; a synopsis.
4. The inner or outer flat layer of bones of the skull separated by the diploë.

Free On-line Dictionary of Computing - Cite This Source - Share This

table database
A collection of records in a relational database.
(1997-06-04)

U.S. Gazetteer - Cite This Source - Share This

Table Grove, IL (village, FIPS 74301) Location: 40.36557 N, 90.42493 W
Population (1990): 408 (196 housing units)
Area: 0.7 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
Zip code(s): 61482

Table Rock, NE (village, FIPS 48270) Location: 40.17875 N, 96.08923 W
Population (1990): 308 (174 housing units)
Area: 1.5 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
Zip code(s): 68447

Table Rock, MO (village, FIPS 72160) Location: 36.60427 N, 93.30028 W
Population (1990): 100 (58 housing units)
Area: 0.5 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Table

Ta"ble\, n. [F., fr. L. tabula a board, tablet, a painting. Cf. Tabular, Taffrail, Tavern.]

1. A smooth, flat surface, like the side of a board; a thin, flat, smooth piece of anything; a slab.

A bagnio paved with fair tables of marble. --Sandys.

2. A thin, flat piece of wood, stone, metal, or other material, on which anything is cut, traced, written, or painted; a tablet; pl. a memorandum book. "The names . . . written on his tables." --Chaucer.

And the Lord said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first, and I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables, which thou brakest. --Ex. xxxiv. 1.

And stand there with your tables to glean The golden sentences. --Beau. & Fl.

3. Any smooth, flat surface upon which an inscription, a drawing, or the like, may be produced. "Painted in a table plain." --Spenser.

The opposite walls are painted by Rubens, which, with that other of the Infanta taking leave of Don Philip, is a most incomparable table. --Evelyn.

St. Antony has a table that hangs up to him from a poor peasant. --Addison.

4. Hence, in a great variety of applications: A condensed statement which may be comprehended by the eye in a single view; a methodical or systematic synopsis; the presentation of many items or particulars in one group; a scheme; a schedule. Specifically: (a) (Bibliog.) A view of the contents of a work; a statement of the principal topics discussed; an index; a syllabus; a synopsis; as, a table of contents. (b) (Chem.) A list of substances and their properties; especially, a list of the elementary substances with their atomic weights, densities, symbols, etc.

(c) (Mach.) Any collection and arrangement in a condensed form of many particulars or values, for ready reference, as of weights, measures, currency, specific gravities, etc.; also, a series of numbers following some law, and expressing particular values corresponding to certain other numbers on which they depend, and by means of which they are taken out for use in computations; as, tables of logarithms, sines, tangents, squares, cubes, etc.; annuity tables; interest tables; astronomical tables, etc. (d) (Palmistry) The arrangement or disposition of the lines which appear on the inside of the hand.

Mistress of a fairer table Hath not history for fable. --B. Jonson.

5. An article of furniture, consisting of a flat slab, board, or the like, having a smooth surface, fixed horizontally on legs, and used for a great variety of purposes, as in eating, writing, or working.

We may again Give to our tables meat. --Shak.

The nymph the table spread. --Pope.

6. Hence, food placed on a table to be partaken of; fare; entertainment; as, to set a good table.

7. The company assembled round a table.

I drink the general joy of the whole table. --Shak.

8. (Anat.) One of the two, external and internal, layers of compact bone, separated by diplo["e], in the walls of the cranium.

9. (Arch.) A stringcourse which includes an offset; esp., a band of stone, or the like, set where an offset is required, so as to make it decorative. See Water table.

10. (Games) (a) The board on the opposite sides of which backgammon and draughts are played. (b) One of the divisions of a backgammon board; as, to play into the right-hand table. (c) pl. The games of backgammon and of draughts. [Obs.] --Chaucer.

This is the ape of form, monsieur the nice, That, when he plays at tables, chides the dice. --Shak.

11. (Glass Manuf.) A circular plate of crown glass.

A circular plate or table of about five feet diameter weighs on an average nine pounds. --Ure.

12. (Jewelry) The upper flat surface of a diamond or other precious stone, the sides of which are cut in angles.

13. (Persp.) A plane surface, supposed to be transparent and perpendicular to the horizon; -- called also perspective plane.

14. (Mach.) The part of a machine tool on which the work rests and is fastened.

Bench table, Card table, Communion table, Lord's table, etc. See under Bench, Card, etc.

Raised table (Arch. & Sculp.), a raised or projecting member of a flat surface, large in proportion to the projection, and usually rectangular, -- especially intended to receive an inscription or the like.

Roller table (Horology), a flat disk on the arbor of the balance of a watch, holding the jewel which rolls in and out of the fork at the end of the lever of the escapement.

Round table. See Dictionary of Noted Names in Fiction.

Table anvil, a small anvil to be fastened to a table for use in making slight repairs.

Table base. (Arch.) Same as Water table.

Table bed, a bed in the form of a table.

Table beer, beer for table, or for common use; small beer.

Table bell, a small bell to be used at table for calling servants.

Table cover, a cloth for covering a table, especially at other than mealtimes.

Table diamond, a thin diamond cut with a flat upper surface.

Table linen, linen tablecloth, napkins, and the like.

Table money (Mil. or Naut.), an allowance sometimes made to officers over and above their pay, for table expenses.

Table rent (O. Eng. Law), rent paid to a bishop or religious, reserved or appropriated to his table or housekeeping. --Burrill.

Table shore (Naut.), a low, level shore.

Table talk, conversation at table, or at meals.

Table talker, one who talks at table.

Table tipping, Table turning, certain movements of tables, etc., attributed by some to the agency of departed spirits, and by others to the development of latent vital or spriritual forces, but more commonly ascribed to the muscular force of persons in connection with the objects moved, or to physical force applied otherwise.

Tables of a girder or chord (Engin.), the upper and lower horizontal members.

To lay on the table, in parliamentary usage, to lay, as a report, motion, etc., on the table of the presiding officer, -- that is, to postpone the consideration of, by a vote.

To serve tables (Script.), to provide for the poor, or to distribute provisions for their wants. --Acts vi. 2.

To turn the tables, to change the condition or fortune of contending parties; -- a metaphorical expression taken from the vicissitudes of fortune in gaming.

Twelve tables (Rom. Antiq.), a celebrated body of Roman laws, framed by decemvirs appointed 450 years before Christ, on the return of deputies or commissioners who had been sent to Greece to examine into foreign laws and institutions. They consisted partly of laws transcribed from the institutions of other nations, partly of such as were altered and accommodated to the manners of the Romans, partly of new provisions, and mainly, perhaps, of laws and usages under their ancient kings. --Burrill.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Table

Ta"ble\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Tableed; p. pr. & vb. n. Tableing.]

1. To form into a table or catalogue; to tabulate; as, to table fines.

2. To delineate, as on a table; to represent, as in a picture. [Obs.]

Tabled and pictured in the chambers of meditation. --Bacon.

3. To supply with food; to feed. [Obs.] --Milton.

4. (Carp.) To insert, as one piece of timber into another, by alternate scores or projections from the middle, to prevent slipping; to scarf.

5. To lay or place on a table, as money. --Carlyle.

6. In parliamentary usage, to lay on the table; to postpone, by a formal vote, the consideration of (a bill, motion, or the like) till called for, or indefinitely.

7. To enter upon the docket; as, to table charges against some one.

8. (Naut.) To make board hems in the skirts and bottoms of (sails) in order to strengthen them in the part attached to the boltrope.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Table

Ta"ble\, v. i. To live at the table of another; to board; to eat. [Obs.] "He . . . was driven from the society of men to table with the beasts." --South.