Private: Information » Glossary

Acanthus – a decorative woodcarving based on the acanthus leaf, a prickly Mediterranean plant

Apron – the wooden panel that connects the surface and legs of a table or chair

Arm chair – a chair with side structures to support the arms or elbows

Armoire – French name for a linen-press, wardrobe, or a large cupboard

Art Deco – a style characterized by geometric forms and bright, bold colors, popular from c. 1918 to 1940. See Style Guide

Art Nouveau – a movement and style of decoration characterized by sinuous curves and flowing lines, asymmetry, and flower and leaf motifs. See Style Guide

Attached back pillow – a pillow which cannot be removed from the upholstered piece of furniture

Bachelor’s chest – a small, low chest-of-drawers

Baize – wool fabric resembling felt, usually green, used on gaming tables

Baker’s rack – open slatted back with shelves used for storing goods in the kitchen

Ball and claw – (see claw and ball)

Baluster – an upright, such as a table leg or rail, shaped like a vase or urn

Banding – veneer cut into narrow strips and applied to create a decorative effect, usually found around the edges of tables and drawer fronts

Baroque – an extravagant and heavily ornate style of architecture, furniture, and decoration that originated in 17th century Italy. See Style Guide

Beaded moulding – a moulding style consisting of convex half-cylinders running the length of the moulded piece

Bentwood – wood that has been steamed and bent into a curvilinear shape

Biedermeier – a 19th-century style originating in Germany, characterized by lack of ostentation

Blanket chest – a chest used for general storage, usually kept in the bedroom

Block foot – a cube-shaped foot found at the base of square-legged furniture

Blockfront chest – a chest of drawers in which the center is concave and the end panels are convex

Bolster – a long cylindrical stuffed pillow or cushion; can be wedge-shaped or rectangular

Bombe – bulbous, curving form; convex fronts and sides of chests

Bonnet top highboy – highboy with a full dome or hood over the top of the piece

Bowfront chest – a chest-of-drawers with a convex front

Bracket foot – a squared foot used on furniture in the 18th century

Braganza – an inscrolled or knurled foot, sometimes called a “Spanish foot”

Breakfront – a cabinet divided vertically into three sections, with the middle section projecting forward

Brocade – richly colored threads which make a design stand out against a weave background

Bun foot – a round ball acting as a foot used on furniture in the 17th century

Bureau – a writing desk with a fall or cylinder front, enclosing a fitted interior, with drawers below

Burl – a knot or variation in wood displaying a unique pattern when thinly sliced

Button tufted – fabric covered buttons sewn through upholstery and tied down, often producing geometric patterns

Cabriole leg – elongated furniture leg with gently curving S-shape

Camel back – a curved sofa back characterized by a hump in the middle

Canapé – a type of French settee with padded back and seat, open arms, and a decorated frame

Carcase – the basic structure of a piece of furniture; often forms the foundation for veneering

Carver – a term that originated in the 19th century to describe a dining chair with elbows

Case furniture – furniture that includes chest, coffers, bureaus, and cupboards

Casegoods – non-upholstery furniture pieces such as dressers, chests, and tables that are used for storage or function

Cassone – Italian chest, often highly decorated with carving and inlay

Centerpiece – ornament used to occupy the center of a dining table

Chaise-lounge – an upholstered chair with an elongated seat for reclining

Chamfer – a corner or edge that is cut at an angle or beveled

Channel back – a sofa or chair with vertical sections of cushioning in the back design

Chesterfield – deep-buttoned, sofa with the arms and back at the same height

Chest-on-chest – tall chest-of-drawers in two sections, one mounted on another slightly larger chest; also known as a tallboy

Chest-on-stand – tall chest-of-drawers on a stand, also known as a highboy

Chiffonnier – side cabinet with or without a drawer and with one or more shelves above

Chifforobe – a combination of wardrobe and chest-of-drawers

Claw-and-ball foot – a foot modeled as a ball gripped by an animal’s claw or bird’s talon

Club sofa – an upholstered piece of furniture whose arms are lower than its level back

Cockbeading – bead molding applied to the edges of drawers

Cocktail table – a table positioned in front of the major seating units which provides a surface for serving

Coffer – multi-functional traveling chest with handles and a domed lid but without feet, usually made of oak

COM/COL – Furniture industry term for “Customer’s own material” or “Customer’s own leather.” Typically expressed in square yards for fabric(COM) and in square feet for leather(COL). Figure references the amount of material required for custom fabric or leather coverings.

Commode – French term for a chest-of-drawers

Console – a table intended to stand against a wall, between windows

Cornice – horizontal top portion on a piece of furniture

Credence table – a type of small table used for storing food before serving; generally a semi-circular table with a hinged top

Credenza – a long side cabinet used for serving and storage with shelves on the ends

Crossbanding – veneered edge to tabletops and drawer fronts, at right angles to the main veneer

Crown molding – transitional, or terminal element that contours or outlines the edges and surfaces on a projection or cavity, such as a cornice, architrave, capital, arch, base, or jamb; the surface of a molding is modeled with recesses and reliefs, which either maintain a constant profile or are set in rhythmically repeated patterns

Curio – a cabinet for storing collectibles and knick-knacks

Cushion drawer – a convex drawer below a cornice that runs the full width of a piece of furniture

Damask – a heavy, reversible fabric featuring a pattern which is distinguished from the background by contrasting luster

Davenport – a British term describing a small writing desk

Daybed – a seating piece, which can also serve as a bed

Dentil moulding – a moulding style consisting of a row of equally spaced carved rectangles or “teeth”

Diamond tufting – an arrangement of buttons which yields a diamond shaped pattern on the back of the piece

Double-doweled – a method of joining two pieces of wood which uses two dowel pins instead of one to ensure no shifting

Dovetailing – series of interlocking joints used to join sections of timber together

Drawer-lining – term referring to the side of a drawer

Dresser – a low long chest of drawers used for storing clothes

Drop handle – a pear-shaped handle made popular in the late 17th century

Drop-in seat – upholstered seat frame that sits in the main framework of a chair

Dropleaf table – a type of table with a pivoted leg to support the extended leaf but without understretchers

Drop lid desk – a desk with a hinged panel that covers the inner compartments

Dumb waiter – type of furniture with a central shaft and circular trays, which often revolves to enable those who are dining to help themselves to additional plates

Egg-and-dart moulding – a carved moulding resembling ovals, or “eggs,” alternating with triangular arrowheads, or “darts”

Encoignure – an 18th-19th century casework piece similar to a corner cabinet. Its front is typically rounded or diagonal, and it rests on three or four feet. Often, the top portion contains shelves in graduated sizes.

Escritoire – a cabinet with a fall front that lowers to form a writing surface

Escutcheon – the brass plate that surrounds and protects the edges of a keyhole

Étagère – a two- or three-tiered table intended for displaying objects or serving food

Faceted – decorative surface cut into sharp-edged planes in a criss-cross pattern to reflect light

Fall front – the flap of a bureau or secrétaire that pulls down to provide a writing surface

Fauteuil – a French term for an armchair

Feather banding – two narrow bands of veneer laid in opposite diagonals

Federal style – the American version of the Neo-classical style, popular from c. 1789 to c.1830. See Style Guide

Ferrule – an often metal cap attached to the end of a slender shaft for strength or to prevent splitting

Figuring – pattern made by the natural grain of wood

Finial – decorative turned knob

Flare – the outward curving shape of a furniture leg

Frame – the wooden skeleton of an upholstered piece of furniture

Fretwork – ornamental carving, often interlaced or pierced in appearance

Gadroon moulding – a rounded moulding that is carved in convex curves

Gainsborough chair – deep armchair with an upholstered seat and back, padded open arms, and carved decoration

Gallery – wood or metal border around the top edge of a table

Gateleg – hinged leg that pivots to support a drop leaf on a table

Georgian – Historical period dating from c.1714 – c.1790; Style of the period reflects the British interpretation of Palladianism (early), the Rococo (mid) and Neo-classicism (late)

Gothic – decoration style featuring such motifs as pinnacles, crockets, and trefoils; popular from the 1820s in Europe and from the 1840s in North America. See Style Guide

Gueridon – a small, elaborately carved stand or table

Harvest table – a narrow rectangular table with hinged drop leaves

Hepplewhite – an 18th-century English style originated by George Hepplewhite, and characterized by delicate forms in the neoclassic framework. See Style Guide

Highboy – American term for a tall chest-on-stand

Huntboard – a light, portable sideboard used for serving food and drinks

Inlay – setting of one material in another (e.g. marble in wood)

Japanning – painting and varnishing in imitation of Oriental lacquerwork

Keeled – sharp edge frequently found on the corner of cabriole legs

Kneehole desk – desk with a recessed central cupboard

Knife edged – loose or attached cushion treatment which uses a single horizontal welt or seam in the middle of the front edge of the cushion

Ladder-back chair – a chair with a series of horizontal back-rails

Lamination – a method of gluing together sheets of wood with the grain in different directions to produce a material that is thinner and lighter than solid wood

Lawson – an overstuffed sofa that has square seat cushions, short backrests, and high arms

Lincoln rocker – an upholstered rocking chair with an exposed wooden frame, high back and padded armrest

Linen-press – a cupboard with shelves for storing linen and clothes

Loo table – a large Victorian card or games table

Loose pillow back – a pillow treatment which can be removed from an upholstered piece

Loper – a pullout arm used to support the hinged fall of a bureau

Love seat – smaller version of sofa typically made up of two seating cushions to accommodate two people

Lowboy – American term for a small dressing table

Marquetry – the use of veneer and other inlays to make decorative patterns in wood

Married – term referring to an item of furniture that has been made up from two or more associated pieces, usually from the same period

MDF – medium density fiberboard; made from compressed particles of wood and used in the construction of furniture

Modernism – style of the 1920s and 1930s, which rejected ornamentation in favor of geometric forms and smooth surfaces

Modular seating – upholstered seating units which can be joined and rearranged with other units to form different seating arrangements

Mortise-and-tenon joint – a carpentry joint formed by inserting a tab or tenon into a closely fitting slot or mortise. Dovetailing is one variation

Motion furniture – furniture containing a mechanism or mechanisms, such as reclining backs or extending footrests, which allow it to adjust to your body for increased comfort

Mule chest – chest with drawers in the base; forerunner of the chest-of-drawers

Muntons/Muntins/Muttons/Mutons – dividers over glass panels in windows and china cabinets

Neoclassic – Mid to late 18th century of architecture and decoration based on the ancient forms Greece and Rome. See Style Guide.

Nest of tables – a set of occasional tables that slide one beneath the other when not in use

Ogee – descriptive of an edge or foot consisting of two curves, the top convex and the bottom concave, forming an S-curve

Ottoman – an upholstered footstool

Pad or club foot – a rounded foot that sits on a circular base; used in conjunction with cabriole legs on furniture

Parquetry – geometric marquetry made from veneers of various woods

Parsons leg – a long fully upholstered leg

Pedestal desk – a flat desk, usually with a leather top, that stands on two banks of drawers

Pedestal table – a table supported by a single central base

Pediment – equivalent in Classical architecture of a gable; a triangular head or topping

Pegged furniture – early joined furniture constructed by a system of slots and tenons, held together by dowels

Pembroke table – a small two-flap table that stands on four legs

Pencil-post bed – a bed with four slim posts; used alone or with a canopy

Pie-crust top – an ornately carved decorative edge of a dished-top tripod or tea-table

Pilaster – a false column used for decorative purposes

Platform base – three- or four-cornered flat table bases supporting a central pedestal and standing on scrolled or paw feet

Plywood – form of laminated wood with the grain of the alternate layers set at right angles

Post-modernism – a reaction against Modernism that began during the 1950s and promoted the reintroduction of bright colors and decorative components

Rail – horizontal spats of a chair back

Reeding – decoration created by narrow, convex moldings in parallel strips and divided by grooves

Rocaille – ornament style from the rococo period consisting of an abstract shell or leaf motif

Rococo – decorative style that evolved in the early 18th century partly as a reaction to the Baroque; featured asymmetrical ornament and flamboyant scrollwork. See Style Guide.

Rolled arms – arms which flare out and then down to meet the sides of a chair or sofa

Rule join – type of join on furniture contrived in such a way that, when open, no separation shows between the two joined parts

Runners – strips of wood on which doors slide

Sabot – French term for the gilt-bronze “shoe” at the bottom of furniture legs

Sabre leg – outward-curving leg that became fashionable on late 18th century Empire and Regency chairs

Seat rail – framework that supports the seat of a chair and holds the legs together

Secretary/Secrétaire – writing cabinet with a fall front that lets down to provide a writing surface; often has bookshelves above and drawers below

Secrétaire à abattant – type of writing cabinet with a fall front and resting on a chest-of-drawers or small cupboard

Sectional – a sofa that has several segments, which may be used in combination or separately to fit in a room

Serpentine – possessing a compound curvature

Settee – a long seat or bench with a back and arms; seats two or more people

Shellac – resinous varnish obtained from the lac insect and used in japanning

Shoe – a projecting piece rising from the back rail of a chair seat into which the base of the splat is fixed

Sideboard – a serving piece with a long, flat top and a lower section used for storage

Side chair – a chair without arms, designed to stand against a wall

Skirt – a piece of fabric at the bottom of a sofa, loveseat, or chair that hangs for decorative purposes

Slat-back chair – type of 17th century chair with slats across the back

Sleigh bed – a bed in which the head and footboards are scrolled

Sofa – a long seat with back and arms

Sofa table – a rectangular table with two hinged flaps at the ends designed to stand in front of a sofa

Spade foot – tapering foot of square section

Splat – central upright in a chair back, loosely applied to all members in a chair back

Squab cushion – loose flat cushion on the seat of a chair

Sussex chair – chair with an ash frame and rush seat, based on a traditional country design

Swan neck handle – curved handle popular in the 18th century

Table ambulante – French term for a small, portable occasional table

Tallboy – see chest-on-chest

Teapoy – a small piece of freestanding furniture designed for holding tea

Tee seat cushions – loose cushions whose outside front edges extend laterally in front of the arm of an upholstered piece

Tester – canopy or ceiling over a bed

Thrown chair – a chair constructed from turned pieces of wood

Thumbpiece – flange attached to a hinged lid, which, when pressed by the thumb, raises the lid

Transitional – a style created from the fusion of Neo-classical decoration with Rococo forms

Trestle table – a long narrow table with two uprights joined by a single stretcher

Tripod table – a small table with a round top supported by a three-legged pillar, originally made for serving tea

Triptych – a large, three-part hinged mirror, panel, or screen

Tuxedo arms – Slightly flared arms that are the same height as the back

Veneer – thin slice of expensive and often exotic timber applied to an inexpensive secondary timber using glue

Vitrine – china or curio cabinet with glass doors

Wainscot chair – early jointed chair with a paneled back, open arms, and wood seat

Wardrobe – a large cabinet or cupboard for hanging clothes

Wellington chest – a tall, narrow, relatively plain type of chest named after the Duke of Wellington

Welting – cord wrapped in fabric which is used to trim the upholstery seams and places where the fabric meets exposed wood

Whatnot – mobile stand with open shelves

Windsor chair – type of country chair with a spindle back and legs

Wing chair – a fully upholstered chair with wings at the sides to protect the sitter from drafts; also known as a “wing-back”

Worm holes – small holes found in wood, considered a defect in many instances and a character-providing element in others