a piece of furniture with a flat top on legs that people use for eating, working, or putting things on
Lena spread a bright cloth over the kitchen table before breakfast.
During the craft lesson, the children gathered around a large table covered with colored paper and glue.
✦ Middle English, from Old French "table", from Latin "tabula" meaning plank, board, or list
a set of facts or numbers arranged in rows and columns for easy reference
The weather report included a table showing average temperatures for each month.
Please add the survey results to the spreadsheet table so everyone can see them.
✦ Extension of Latin "tabula" sense ‘list’ in medieval scholarship, leading to printed tables of figures.
to formally present something, such as a proposal or motion, for discussion at a meeting
The minister will table the new education bill in Parliament tomorrow.
At the council meeting, she tabled a motion to improve local recycling services.
✦ Sense arose in British parliamentary procedure in the 17th century, referring to literally laying papers on the ‘table’ before members.
to postpone discussion or consideration of something, often until a later time
The committee voted to table the budget proposal until next month.
Because of time constraints, they tabled further discussion on the new policy.
✦ American legislative usage developed in the 19th century, shifting ‘place on the table’ to mean ‘set aside for now’.
a broad, flat-topped area of high ground with steep sides; a mesa or plateau
The desert table rose abruptly from the surrounding plain.
Ancient rivers carved steep cliffs around the table over millions of years.
✦ Borrowed from French "table" in 17th-century exploration journals to describe landforms resembling a tabletop.
a large spoon used for eating soup or for serving food at the table
He stirred his coffee with a tablespoon because the teaspoons were all dirty.
A shiny silver tablespoon lay beside the soup bowl on the white tablecloth.
a small, flat, portable computer with a touch screen
Mia used her new tablet to draw a colorful picture on the bus ride home.
During the meeting, the engineer flipped his tablet into landscape mode to show the design.
✦ Early 21st-century use, comparing the flat shape to a writing tablet.
a small solid dose of medicine that you swallow whole
The doctor told Ella to take one tablet every morning after breakfast.
Make sure you drink plenty of water when swallowing these tablets.
✦ 19th-century pharmacy term, from the flat compressed shape resembling a writing tablet.
having or providing enough money to live without financial worry
They have a comfortable income and can travel every year.
After getting the promotion, Maya felt comfortable financially.
considered morally or socially right, proper, or allowed
It is not acceptable to talk loudly during a movie.
Most people now find recycling an acceptable habit that benefits the planet.
✦ Same origin as Sense 1, stressing the notion of moral or social acceptance.
