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table

n. · v.
US //ˈteɪbəɫ// UK //tˈeɪbəl// ta·ble
  1. 1 furniture (n.)
    A1 Beginner

    a piece of furniture with a flat top and legs, used for eating, writing, or working.

    a piece of furniture consisting of a flat top supported by one or more legs, used as a surface for various activities.

    Example

    We all sat around the large wooden table for Sunday dinner.

    Example

    The designer selected a minimalist glass table to ensure the small dining area felt open and uncluttered.
  2. 2 data display (n.)
    A2 Elementary Computing

    a list of facts or numbers arranged in rows and columns.

    a systematic arrangement of data, typically in rows and columns, for easy reference or analysis.

    Example

    The second table in the report shows how much prices have risen.

    Example

    The researcher compiled the survey results into a comprehensive table to highlight the correlation between income and education levels.
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  1. 3 group of people (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    the people sitting together at a table.

    a metonymic reference to the group of people seated at a table for a meal or discussion.

    Example

    The whole table laughed when he told the joke.

    Example

    The waiter noticed that table four had been waiting for their drinks for over twenty minutes.
  2. 4 to propose (UK) or postpone (US) (v.)
    C1 Advanced Formal Law

    to suggest an idea for discussion; in American English, it can also mean to stop discussing something.

    to submit a motion or report for discussion. Note the regional contronym: in British English it means to 'bring forward', while in American English it means to 'shelve' or 'postpone'.

    Example

    The committee decided to table the new proposal until the next meeting.

    Example

    The opposition member intended to table an amendment, but the chairperson ruled that the motion was out of order.

    Usage

    In the US, this verb is usually transitive and implies delaying a topic; in the UK, it implies initiating a topic.

    Teacher's tip

    This is a famous 'false friend' between British and American English. Always clarify the intent in international meetings to avoid confusion.
Origin

Inherited from Middle English table, tabel, tabil, tabul, from Old English tabele, tabul, tablu, tabule, tabula (“board”); also as tæfl, tæfel, an early Germanic borrowing of Latin tabula (“tablet, board, plank, chart”). The sense of “piece of furniture” is from Old French table, of same Latin origin; Old English used bēod or bord instead for this meaning: see board. Doublet of tabula and tavla.

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