ottoman

Definition

An upholstered sofa, without arms or a back, sometimes with a compartment for storing linen etc.

Etymology

From Ottoman in the early 19th century; so named because reclining on a couch was associated with Middle Eastern customs.

Example Sentences

• "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."