Sideboards

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A piece of furniture typically used for storage and display, combining a horizontal surface with shelves or drawers
2. A household item often found in dining rooms, used for serving food and holding utensils or dishes
3. A stylish addition to home decor, useful for organizing items while enhancing the aesthetic of a room

Etymology: "Sideboards" is the plural of "sideboard," a compound of "side" and "board." The furniture sense grew out of the older meaning of "sideboard" as a board placed at the side of something, with the furniture named for the board's position beside a dining table where food and dishes were set out. Since the plural is simply the regular form of the noun, the history lies entirely in the singular. The two parts are plain English. "Side" comes from Old Norse "síða," meaning the flank of a body, while "board" is the familiar flat plank. Joined together, the compound describes a plank at the flank of a room or table, a sense the word kept for a long time before the cabinet form took over its name.

Synonyms: buffets, cabinets