Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun The movable articles in a room or an establishment that make it fit for living or working.
  • noun Archaic Necessary equipment, as for a saddle horse or sailing ship.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun In a harness, all of the metallic parts with the exception of the bits and rosettes.
  • noun In general, that with which anything is furnished or supplied to fit it for operation or use; that which fits or equips for use or action; outfit; equipment: as, the furniture of a war-horse, or of a microscope; table furniture.
  • noun The act of furnishing.
  • noun Collectively and specifically— Those movables required for use or ornament in a dwelling, a place of business or of assembly, etc.
  • noun The necessary appendages in various employments or arts, as the brasswork of locks, door-knobs, and window-shutters, the masts and rigging of a ship, the mounting of a musket, etc.
  • noun In printing, the pieces of wood or metal placed between and around pages of type to keep them the requisite distance apart and to aid in securing them in the chase.
  • noun In organ-building, one of the varieties of mixture-stops.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun That with which anything is furnished or supplied; supplies; outfit; equipment.
  • noun Articles used for convenience or decoration in a house or apartment, as tables, chairs, bedsteads, sofas, carpets, curtains, pictures, vases, etc.
  • noun The necessary appendages to anything, as to a machine, a carriage, a ship, etc.
  • noun (Naut.) The masts and rigging of a ship.
  • noun (Mil.) The mountings of a gun.
  • noun Builders' hardware such as locks, door and window trimmings.
  • noun (Print) Pieces of wood or metal of a lesser height than the type, placed around the pages or other matter in a form, and, with the quoins, serving to secure the form in its place in the chase.
  • noun (Mus.) A mixed or compound stop in an organ; -- sometimes called mixture.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun Large movable item(s), usually in a room, which enhance(s) the room's characteristics, functionally or decoratively.
  • noun The harness, trappings etc. of a horse, hawk, or other animal.
  • noun Fittings, such as handles, of a door, coffin, or other wooden item.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun furnishings that make a room or other area ready for occupancy

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Old French fourniture, from fournir, to furnish; see furnish.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle French fourniture ("a supply, or the act of furnishing"), from fournir ("to furnish").

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Examples

  • The Eames name, in furniture, is a registered trademark of Herman Miller.

    In Design, Chair and Chair Alike Anjali Athavaley 2010

  • Not until after the furniture is all paid for anyway.

    CHAPTER XIV 2010

  • The lesson here is that long and low is always chic, and to avoid at all costs what I call 'furniture on steroids': American designs are generally so supersized and big and puffy.

    Silver-Screen Décor Jen Renzi 2011

  • Make sure that the furniture is aligned in a proper fashion with a set pattern.

    Mantra Bed by Mauro Bertame 2009

  • Leather furniture is among the most stylish, cool and elegant of all furnishing that you can pit up in your interiors and the best part is that it goes well with both the modern look and even the laid back retro style.

    Lama Leather Chair 2009

  • Pie got a little doll house for Christmas, but once we got it out of the packaging we realized that all the furniture is affixed in place - the only movable parts are the actual family members and a car.

    Motherhood Ain't No Place for Control Freaks 2008

  • The living room still faces the beautiful view of the farmlands, and the furniture is arranged just the same as it was years ago.

    Nothing Has Changed 2006

  • The living room still faces the beautiful view of the farmlands, and the furniture is arranged just the same as it was years ago.

    Archive 2006-03-01 2006

  • I guess the furniture is a way of commercializing the idea.

    November 2006 2006

  • Not until after the furniture is all paid for anyway.

    Chapter 14 1913

Comments

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  • This is one of those words that I always need to look up. It sounds like it should be spelled furnature. Still gets me after all these years. :P

    July 25, 2007

  • Does it help to remember "furnish"?

    July 25, 2007

  • Yes! reesetee, you're brilliant!!!

    July 25, 2007

  • Old spelling bee trick. ;-)

    July 25, 2007

  • I'm imagining reesetee whiling away his youth chasing bees around the garden and then holding them captive until they have been taught how to spell flawlessly.

    What's a reesetee anyway?

    March 18, 2008

  • "There were no personal letters. He opened nothing. But he sat for a moment with each letter in his hands before he let it drop. He listened to its freedom, its mobility, its travels.

    There was a postcard inviting him to an exhibit of modern Italian furniture, where even the spumante couldn't disguise how uncomfortable the pieces would be; a chiropractor would have to escort you home."

    - 'The Quiet Girl', Peter Høeg.

    March 18, 2008

  • Yes, bilby--and those bees are quick learners. ;->

    March 19, 2008