table (tables plural & 3rd person present) (tabling present participle) (tabled past tense & past participle )
1 n-count A table is a piece of furniture with a flat top that you put things on or sit at.
She was sitting at the kitchen table eating a currant bun..., I placed his drink on the small table at his elbow.
2 verb If someone tables a proposal, they say formally that they want it to be discussed at a meeting.
(mainly BRIT)
(=propose)
They've tabled a motion criticising the Government for doing nothing about the problem. V n
3 verb If someone tables a proposal or plan which has been put forward, they decide to discuss it or deal with it at a later date, rather than straight away.
(AM)
We will table that for later. V n
4 n-count A table is a written set of facts and figures arranged in columns and rows.
also N num
Consult the table on page 104..., Other research supports the figures in Table 3.3.
5
→
coffee table
→
dressing table
→
negotiating table
→
round table
→
tea table
6 If you put something on the table, you present it at a meeting for it to be discussed.
on the table phrase PHR after v, v-link PHR
This is one of the best packages we've put on the table in years...
7 If you turn the tableson someone, you change the situation completely, so that instead of them causing problems for you, you are causing problems for them.
turn the tables phrase V inflects, oft PHR on n
The only question is whether the President can use his extraordinary political skills to turn the tables on his opponents.
8 →
to put your cards on the table →
card
bird table (bird tables plural )A bird table is a small wooden platform on a pole which some people put in their garden in order to put food for the birds on it. n-count
breakfast table (breakfast tables plural )You refer to a table as the breakfast table when it is being used for breakfast. n-count usu sing, the N
...reading the morning papers at the breakfast table.
card table (card tables plural ), card-table A card table is a small light table which can be folded up and which is sometimes used for playing games of cards on. n-count
coffee table (coffee tables plural ), coffee-table A coffee table is a small low table in a living room. n-count
coffee-table book (coffee-table books plural )A coffee-table book is a large expensive book with a lot of pictures, which is designed to be looked at rather than to be read properly, and is usually placed where people can see it easily. n-count
dining table (dining tables plural ), dining-table A dining table is a table that is used for having meals on. n-count
dinner table (dinner tables plural ), dinner-table You can refer to a table as thedinner table when it is being used for dinner.
(BRIT) n-count usu sing, usu the/poss N
Sam was left at the dinner table with Peg.
dressing table (dressing tables plural ), dressing-table A dressing table is a small table in a bedroom. It has drawers underneath and a mirror on top. n-count
league table (league tables plural )A league table is a list that shows how successful an organization such as a sports team or a business is when it is compared to other similar organizations.
(mainly BRIT) n-count
...a league table of British schools ranked by exam results.
multiplication table (multiplication tables plural )A multiplication table is a list of the multiplications of numbers between one and twelve. Children often have to learn multiplication tables at school. n-count
(=table)
negotiating table
If you say that people are at thenegotiating table, you mean that they are having discussions in order to settle a dispute or reach an agreement. n-sing usu the N
`We want to settle all matters at the negotiating table,' he said...
operating table (operating tables plural )An operating table is a table which a patient in a hospital lies on during a surgical operation. n-count
periodic table
In chemistry, the periodic table is a table showing the chemical elements arranged according to their atomic numbers. n-sing the N
round table (round tables plural ), round-table, roundtable A round table discussion is a meeting where experts gather together in order to discuss a particular topic. n-count usu N n
...a round-table conference of the leading heart specialists of America.
table dancing
Table dancing is a type of entertainment in a bar or club in which a woman who is wearing very few clothes dances in a sexy way close to a customer or group of customers. n-uncount
table lamp (table lamps plural )A table lamp is a small electric lamp which stands on a table or other piece of furniture. n-count
table manners
You can use table manners to refer to the way you behave when you are eating a meal at a table. n-plural usu supp N
He attacked the food as quickly as decent table manners allowed.
table tennis , table-tennis
Table tennis is a game played inside by two or four people. The players stand at each end of a table which has a low net across the middle and hit a small light ball over the net, using small bats. n-uncount
table top (table tops plural ), tabletop A table top is the flat surface on a table. n-count
table wine (table wines plural )Table wine is fairly cheap wine that is drunk with meals. n-mass
tea table , tea-table
You refer to a table as the tea table when it is being used for a meal eaten in the late afternoon or early evening.
(mainly BRIT) n-sing the N
...cakes and sandwiches on the tea-table.
trestle table (trestle tables plural )A trestle table is a table made of a long board that is supported on trestles. n-count
water table (water tables plural )Thewater table is the level below the surface of the ground where water can be found. n-count usu the N
Environmentalists say that diverting water from the river will lower the water table and dry out wells.
