plural noun
Pieces of furniture with flat tops and usually four legs, used for eating, working, or putting things on.
The tables are ready for dinner.
We put the books on the tables.
American English
How to pronounce tables
noun · verbA1Very common word
TAYblz
/ˈtʰeɪ.bl̩z/
2 syllables · Stress the first syllable.
Form of table
Tables can be a plural noun or the third-person singular form of the verb table.
Pieces of furniture with flat tops and usually four legs, used for eating, working, or putting things on.
Practice out loudMeanings & examples
plural noun
Sets of information arranged in rows and columns.
The tables show the results for each month.
Please compare the two tables.
plural noun
Places in a restaurant where people sit and eat.
The restaurant has three tables available tonight.
We reserved two tables for our group.
third-person singular verb
Delays discussing or deciding something until a later time.
The committee tables the proposal until Friday.
The board tables the plan until next month.
Good to know
In American English, tables a proposal means delays it.
Useful expressions
Secretly and often illegally, especially without reporting a payment.
They paid him under the table.
Available to be discussed or considered.
All options are still on the table.
A list of the sections in a book and the pages where they begin.
The table of contents is at the front of the book.
Related words & forms
The final e is dropped before -ing: tabling, not tableing.