Table ˈteɪbl People List Sitting End Position Formal

• we sat at a round table in the corner.
• they were sitting around the kitchen table.
• she took a seat at the end of the table.
• my father always sits at the head of the table.

table

1. a piece of furniture that consists of a flat top supported by legs
• SEE ALSO bird table
  https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/bird-table
• We sat at a round table in the corner.
• They were sitting around the kitchen table.
• She took a seat at the end of the table.
• My father always sits at the head of the table.
• A table for two, please (= in a restaurant).
• I'd like to book a table for dinner tonight (= in a restaurant)
• to set the table
• to lay the table (= to put the plates, knives, etc. on it for a meal)
• to clear the table (= take away the dirty plates, etc. at the end of a meal)
• He questioned her next morning over the breakfast table (= during breakfast).
• a pool/billiard/snooker table

Extra Examples

• He left the table in a hurry.
• James crawled out from under the table.
• She leaned across the table and kissed him.
• They flirted over the dinner table.
• We found an empty table at the back of the restaurant.
• We gathered around the table to hear his news.
• We turned the box upside down and used it as a makeshift table.
• We'll take the corner table near the bar, please.
2. the people sitting at a table for a meal or to play cards, etc.
• SEE ALSO round-table
  https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/round-table
• He kept the whole table entertained with his jokes.
3. a list of facts or numbers arranged in a special order, usually in rows and columns
• SEE ALSO periodic table
  https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/the-periodic-table
• a table of contents (= a list of the main points or information in a book, usually at the front of the book)
• The table below shows how prices have changed over the past 20 years.
• He showed the price fluctuations in a statistical table.
• See Table XII for population figures.
4. a list of sports teams, countries, schools, etc. that shows their position in a competition, etc.
• SEE ALSO league table
  https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/league-table
• If Arsenal win this game they'll go to the top of the table.
• the bottom of the table
• United are second in the table.
• The team will be lucky to finish the season mid-table.
5. a list showing the results when a number is multiplied by a set of other numbers, especially 1 to 12, in turn
• Do you know your six times table?
6. to contribute something useful to a discussion, project, etc.
• What Hislop brought to the table was real commitment and energy.
7. to join formal discussions about something
• Different countries come to the table with differing expectations about what they can achieve.
8. to drink more alcohol than somebody else without becoming as drunk as they are
9. to tell somebody honestly what your plans, ideas, etc. are
10. if a topic is off the table at a formal discussion, people are not willing or allowed to discuss it
• Some issues were so controversial they were taken off the table.
11. offered to people so that they can consider or discuss it
• Management have put several new proposals on the table.
12. not going to be discussed or considered until a future date
13. to change a situation so that you are now in a stronger position than the person who used to be in a stronger position than you
14. to serve food to people, for example at a formal meal
15. to work serving food to people in a restaurant

Word Origin

• Old English tabule ‘flat slab, inscribed tablet’, from Latin tabula ‘plank, tablet, list’, reinforced in Middle English by Old French table.