Sobremesa

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A cultural practice involving the enjoyment of conversation and companionship after a meal is often referred to as a period of lingering at the table for social interaction
2. This concept captures the tradition of spending time together at the dining table to engage in discussion following a meal
3. The time spent relaxing and chatting at the table after finishing a meal, emphasizing social bonding and leisure

Etymology: Spanish speakers have a word for the lingering conversation at a table after the meal is finished. "Sobremesa" is built from "sobre," meaning "over" or "on top of," and "mesa," meaning "table." Literally, it means something like "over the table," the period when people remain seated around the table talking. The second half traces back a long way. "Mesa" descends from Latin "mensa," meaning table, which in turn came from the Latin "mensa" as a word for a table set for meals. Latin "super," meaning "above," supplied the prefix that became Spanish "sobre." Spanish combined these into the compound "sobremesa," a term used in Spain and Latin America. English borrowed the word directly from Spanish. Its meaning stayed close to the original: a leisurely stretch of talk that follows dinner, valued in Spanish-speaking cultures as part of the meal itself.

Synonyms: after-dinner conversation, table talk, post-meal chat