Table (furniture)

A table is a useful piece of furniture with a raised, flat top. Most tables use one to four legs to stay steady.

Some tables use a single heavy pedestal for support. Other designs might attach directly to a wall. People use tables for many different jobs every day. Dining room tables provide a place to eat meals with others.

Coffee tables sit low in living rooms to hold books or drinks. Bedside tables stay near a bed to hold lamps or clocks. Some tables are made for special work, like drafting tables for drawing. Workbenches are very sturdy for doing repairs or handwork.

Tables come in many different shapes and sizes. The top can be a square, a rectangle, or an oval.

Some tops are even rounded or shaped like a half-circle. You can find very small tables or huge ones for big meetings. Many tables have extra features like drawers or shelves for storage. Some tables can grow larger by adding pieces called leaves.

Other tables can fold or collapse to save space. A TV tray is a small, portable table on a stand. Nested tables are a set of small tables that stack inside each other.

Humans have used tables for thousands of years. The Ancient Egyptians used them as far back as 2500 BC.

They made some from wood and others from alabaster stone. These early tables often kept objects off the floor. In China, people made tables to help with writing and painting. People in Mesopotamia used different metals to make their tables. The Greeks and Romans used tables for eating quite often. The Romans even used a large, half-circle table called a mensa lunata.

History shows how table designs have changed over time. In the Middle Ages, many tables were portable. They sat on trestles that could be folded or moved away.

Even Charlemagne had special tables made of gold and silver. By the 17th century, long refectory tables were used for big banquets. In the 18th century, the Pembroke table became very popular.

These tables had folding leaves on each side. They were great for serving tea or writing. Some people say Henry Herbert, the 9th Earl of Pembroke, helped design them.

Today, we see tables used for many specific hobbies and games. A billiards table is a large, flat surface covered in cloth.

Chess tables have a chessboard built right into the top. Table tennis tables are divided by a low net for players.

There are even specialized tables for playing cards, like poker tables. Some tables, like overbed tables, help people in hospitals. No matter the style, tables help us organize our world. They give us a steady place to work, eat, and play.