ottoman
nounattested in dialogue
- United Kingdom//ˈɒtəmən//
- United States//ˈɑtəmən//
An upholstered sofa, without arms or a back, sometimes with a compartment for storing linen etc.
noun
- 1
An upholstered sofa, without arms or a back, sometimes with a compartment for storing linen etc.
In the middle of the room there is a big ottoman; and this, with the carpet, the Morris wall-papers, and the Morris chintz window curtains and brocade covers of the ottoman and its cushions, supply all the ornament, and are much too handsome to be hidden by odds and ends of useless things.
These hefty features were on display together with dry-point engravings, marble busts, and mahogany whatnots, which the guests now squeezed between, plumping themselves down on over-stuffed ottomans beneath gleaming crystal electroliers.
A 39-year-old British woman was killed when a malfunctioning ottoman bed fell on her neck and asphyxiated her, a coroner’s report said.
- 2
A low stool or thick cushion used to rest the feet or as a seat.
This ottoman is set on casters, and is a great convenience for holding articles, while serving also as a seat.
- 3
A fabric with a pronounced ribbed or corded effect, often made of silk or a mixture of cotton and silk-like yarns.
Etymology
From Ottoman in the early 19th century; so named because reclining on a couch was associated with Middle Eastern customs.
Forms
- plural
- ottomans
ottoman · An upholstered sofa, without arms or a back, sometimes with a compartment for storing linen etc.
Ottoman · Archaic form of Osman, the name borne by Osman I (d. 1323/4),…ou · A probably extinct species of Hawaiian honeycreeper,…ouch · An expression of one's own physical pain.