Table (furniture)
- For other uses, see Table (disambiguation).
A table is a piece of furniture composed of a horizontal surface and a base. It is often used to hold objects or food at a convenient or comfortable height.
A table can be used temporarily for objects such as food and eating utensils during a meal, cups for drinks, a book (especially a big one, that one can not easily keep in one's hands), a spread-out map, writing paper during writing, and anything that requires having several objects at hand, including various hobbies. Things may also be put more permanently on a table, e.g. a TV, computer, objects for decoration (including a cloth, usually arranged to lie flat on the top surface, and either hang near two ends vertically over two parallel edges of the table, or hang mostly vertical along all four edges of the table, with bunched folds hanging at the four corners of the table), etc. Table settings of food are laid out in a traditional arrangement.
For some tables the top surface can be adjusted in size, with a part that is foldable or can slide under the rest. Some tables are foldable for easy transport, e.g. for camping. Small tables in trains and planes may be fixed or foldable.
Traditionally, tables in Japan, called chabudai, are low, sometimes round tables, used to serve tea and food.