furniture

noun

1. (uncountable, usually)Large movable item(s), usually in a room, which enhance(s) the room's characteristics, functionally or decoratively.

   “The woman does not even have one stick of furniture moved in yet.”

   “How much furniture did they leave behind?”

   “A chair is furniture. Sofas are also furniture.”

   “They bought a couple of pieces of furniture.”

   “Your furniture is beautiful.”

2. (uncountable, usually)The harness, trappings etc. of a horse, hawk, or other animal.

   “We commend a horse because he is strong and nimble,[…]and not for his furniture: a greyhound for his swiftnesse, not for his collar: a hawke for her wing, not for her cranes or bells.”

   “Amongst the rich this part of a hawk's furniture is ornamented with embroidery, handsome silver aigrettes, tassels and other decorations.”

   “Horse furniture included a white sheepskin with red ‘wolf's teeth’; blue shabraque with yellow edging and royal cypher; blue valise with yellow edging.”

3. (uncountable, usually)Fittings, such as handles, of a door, coffin, or other wooden item.

   “[…]a new universal pistol, one to be carried by each man, with a 9-inch barrel of musket-bore and an iron ramrod carried in the holster; the furniture was reduced to just a brass trigger guard (no butt-plate), and some were fitted with Nock's lock.”

4. (obsolete, uncountable, usually)An accompanying enhancing feature, or features collectively; embellishment, decoration, trimming.

   “A Scythian Shepherd, so imbelliſhed With Natures pride, and richeſt furniture? His looks do menace heauen & dare the Gods, His fiery eies are fixt vpon the earth.”

5. (uncountable, usually)The stock and forearm of a weapon.
6. (historical, uncountable, usually)The pieces of wood or metal put around pages of type to make proper margins and fill the spaces between the pages and the chase.
7. (slang, uncountable, usually)The stumps.
8. (uncountable, usually)Any material on the page other than the body text and pictures of articles; for example, headlines, datelines and dinkuses, lines and symbols (though in earlier use, only non-text elements of page design, such as lines and symbols).

   “It read: “This article was amended on 3 January 2023. The original furniture said the fireworks display was on Christmas Eve.””

9. (uncountable, usually)A type of mixture organ stop.
10. (archaic, uncountable, usually)Draped coverings and hangings; bedsheets, tablecloths, tapestries, etc.
11. (obsolete, uncountable, usually)Clothing with which a person is furnished; apparel, outfit.
12. (obsolete, uncountable, usually)Arms and armor, equipment of war.
13. (archaic, uncountable, usually)Equipment for work, apparatus, tools, instruments.
14. (in-plural, obsolete, uncountable, usually)Condiments of a salad.
15. (obsolete, uncountable, usually)Stock, supply, stores, provisions.
16. (obsolete, uncountable, usually)Contents; that with which something is filled or stocked.
17. (uncountable, usually)Impressive-looking books used for filling out the collection of a private library.
18. (obsolete, uncountable, usually)The action of furnishing or supplying.
19. (obsolete, uncountable, usually)The condition of being equipped, prepared, or mentally cultivated.