Acanthus - a decorative woodcarving based on the acanthus leaf, a prickly Mediterranean plant
Apron - the wooden panel that connects the surface and legs of a table or chair
Arm chair - a chair with side structures to support the arms or elbows
Armoire - French name for a linen-press, wardrobe, or a large cupboard
Art Deco - a style characterized by geometric forms and bright, bold colors, popular from c. 1918 to 1940. See Style Guide
Art Nouveau - a movement and style of decoration characterized by sinuous curves and flowing lines, asymmetry, and flower and leaf motifs. See Style Guide
Attached back pillow - a pillow which cannot be removed from the upholstered piece of furniture

Bachelor's chest - a small, low chest-of-drawers
Baize - wool fabric resembling felt, usually green, used on gaming tables
Baker's rack - open slatted back with shelves used for storing goods in the kitchen
Ball and claw - (see claw and ball)
Baluster - an upright, such as a table leg or rail, shaped like a vase or urn
Banding - veneer cut into narrow strips and applied to create a decorative effect, usually found around the edges of tables and drawer fronts
Baroque - an extravagant and heavily ornate style of architecture, furniture, and decoration that originated in 17th century Italy. See Style Guide
Beaded moulding - a moulding style consisting of convex half-cylinders running the length of the moulded piece
Bentwood - wood that has been steamed and bent into a curvilinear shape
Biedermeier - a 19th-century style originating in Germany, characterized by lack of ostentation
Blanket chest - a chest used for general storage, usually kept in the bedroom
Block foot - a cube-shaped foot found at the base of square-legged furniture
Blockfront chest - a chest of drawers in which the center is concave and the end panels are convex
Bolster - a long cylindrical stuffed pillow or cushion; can be wedge-shaped or rectangular
Bombe - bulbous, curving form; convex fronts and sides of chests
Bonnet top highboy - highboy with a full dome or hood over the top of the piece
Bowfront chest - a chest-of-drawers with a convex front
Bracket foot - a squared foot used on furniture in the 18th century
Braganza - an inscrolled or knurled foot, sometimes called a "Spanish foot"
Breakfront - a cabinet divided vertically into three sections, with the middle section projecting forward
Brocade - richly colored threads which make a design stand out against a weave background
Bun foot - a round ball acting as a foot used on furniture in the 17th century
Bureau - a writing desk with a fall or cylinder front, enclosing a fitted interior, with drawers below
Burl - a knot or variation in wood displaying a unique pattern when thinly sliced
Button tufted - fabric covered buttons sewn through upholstery and tied down, often producing geometric patterns

Cabriole leg - elongated furniture leg with gently curving S-shape
Camel back - a curved sofa back characterized by a hump in the middle
Canapé - a type of French settee with padded back and seat, open arms, and a decorated frame
Carcase - the basic structure of a piece of furniture; often forms the foundation for veneering
Carver - a term that originated in the 19th century to describe a dining chair with elbows
Case furniture - furniture that includes chest, coffers, bureaus, and cupboards
Casegoods - non-upholstery furniture pieces such as dressers, chests, and tables that are used for storage or function
Cassone - Italian chest, often highly decorated with carving and inlay
Centerpiece - ornament used to occupy the center of a dining table
Chaise-lounge - an upholstered chair with an elongated seat for reclining
Chamfer - a corner or edge that is cut at an angle or beveled
Channel back - a sofa or chair with vertical sections of cushioning in the back design
Chesterfield - deep-buttoned, sofa with the arms and back at the same height
Chest-on-chest - tall chest-of-drawers in two sections, one mounted on another slightly larger chest; also known as a tallboy
Chest-on-stand - tall chest-of-drawers on a stand, also known as a highboy
Chiffonnier - side cabinet with or without a drawer and with one or more shelves above
Chifforobe - a combination of wardrobe and chest-of-drawers
Claw-and-ball foot - a foot modeled as a ball gripped by an animal's claw or bird's talon
Club sofa - an upholstered piece of furniture whose arms are lower than its level back
Cockbeading - bead molding applied to the edges of drawers
Cocktail table - a table positioned in front of the major seating units which provides a surface for serving
Coffer - multi-functional traveling chest with handles and a domed lid but without feet, usually made of oak
COM/COL - Furniture industry term for "Customer's own material" or "Customer's own leather." Typically expressed in square yards for fabric(COM) and in square feet for leather(COL). Figure references the amount of material required for custom fabric or leather coverings.
Commode - French term for a chest-of-drawers
Console - a table intended to stand against a wall, between windows
Cornice - horizontal top portion on a piece of furniture
Credence table - a type of small table used for storing food before serving; generally a semi-circular table with a hinged top
Credenza - a long side cabinet used for serving and storage with shelves on the ends
Crossbanding - veneered edge to tabletops and drawer fronts, at right angles to the main veneer
Crown molding - transitional, or terminal element that contours or outlines the edges and surfaces on a projection or cavity, such as a cornice, architrave, capital, arch, base, or jamb; the surface of a molding is modeled with recesses and reliefs, which either maintain a constant profile or are set in rhythmically repeated patterns
Curio - a cabinet for storing collectibles and knick-knacks
Cushion drawer - a convex drawer below a cornice that runs the full width of a piece of furniture

Damask - a heavy, reversible fabric featuring a pattern which is distinguished from the background by contrasting luster
Davenport - a British term describing a small writing desk
Daybed - a seating piece, which can also serve as a bed
Dentil moulding - a moulding style consisting of a row of equally spaced carved rectangles or "teeth"
Diamond tufting - an arrangement of buttons which yields a diamond shaped pattern on the back of the piece
Double-doweled - a method of joining two pieces of wood which uses two dowel pins instead of one to ensure no shifting
Dovetailing - series of interlocking joints used to join sections of timber together
Drawer-lining - term referring to the side of a drawer
Dresser - a low long chest of drawers used for storing clothes
Drop handle - a pear-shaped handle made popular in the late 17th century
Drop-in seat - upholstered seat frame that sits in the main framework of a chair
Dropleaf table - a type of table with a pivoted leg to support the extended leaf but without understretchers
Drop lid desk - a desk with a hinged panel that covers the inner compartments
Dumb waiter - type of furniture with a central shaft and circular trays, which often revolves to enable those who are dining to help themselves to additional plates

Egg-and-dart moulding - a carved moulding resembling ovals, or "eggs," alternating with triangular arrowheads, or "darts"
Encoignure - an 18th-19th century casework piece similar to a corner cabinet. Its front is typically rounded or diagonal, and it rests on three or four feet. Often, the top portion contains shelves in graduated sizes.
Escritoire - a cabinet with a fall front that lowers to form a writing surface
Escutcheon - the brass plate that surrounds and protects the edges of a keyhole
Étagère - a two- or three-tiered table intended for displaying objects or serving food

Faceted - decorative surface cut into sharp-edged planes in a criss-cross pattern to reflect light
Fall front - the flap of a bureau or secrétaire that pulls down to provide a writing surface
Fauteuil - a French term for an armchair
Feather banding - two narrow bands of veneer laid in opposite diagonals
Federal style - the American version of the Neo-classical style, popular from c. 1789 to c.1830. See Style Guide
Ferrule - an often metal cap attached to the end of a slender shaft for strength or to prevent splitting
Figuring - pattern made by the natural grain of wood
Finial - decorative turned knob
Flare - the outward curving shape of a furniture leg
Frame - the wooden skeleton of an upholstered piece of furniture
Fretwork - ornamental carving, often interlaced or pierced in appearance

Gadroon moulding - a rounded moulding that is carved in convex curves
Gainsborough chair - deep armchair with an upholstered seat and back, padded open arms, and carved decoration
Gallery - wood or metal border around the top edge of a table
Gateleg - hinged leg that pivots to support a drop leaf on a table
Georgian - Historical period dating from c.1714 - c.1790; Style of the period reflects the British interpretation of Palladianism (early), the Rococo (mid) and Neo-classicism (late)
Gothic - decoration style featuring such motifs as pinnacles, crockets, and trefoils; popular from the 1820s in Europe and from the 1840s in North America. See Style Guide
Gueridon - a small, elaborately carved stand or table

Harvest table - a narrow rectangular table with hinged drop leaves
Hepplewhite - an 18th-century English style originated by George Hepplewhite, and characterized by delicate forms in the neoclassic framework. See Style Guide
Highboy - American term for a tall chest-on-stand
Huntboard - a light, portable sideboard used for serving food and drinks

Inlay - setting of one material in another (e.g. marble in wood)

Japanning - painting and varnishing in imitation of Oriental lacquerwork

Keeled - sharp edge frequently found on the corner of cabriole legs
Kneehole desk - desk with a recessed central cupboard
Knife edged - loose or attached cushion treatment which uses a single horizontal welt or seam in the middle of the front edge of the cushion

Ladder-back chair - a chair with a series of horizontal back-rails
Lamination - a method of gluing together sheets of wood with the grain in different directions to produce a material that is thinner and lighter than solid wood
Lawson - an overstuffed sofa that has square seat cushions, short backrests, and high arms
Lincoln rocker - an upholstered rocking chair with an exposed wooden frame, high back and padded armrest
Linen-press - a cupboard with shelves for storing linen and clothes
Loo table - a large Victorian card or games table
Loose pillow back - a pillow treatment which can be removed from an upholstered piece
Loper - a pullout arm used to support the hinged fall of a bureau
Love seat - smaller version of sofa typically made up of two seating cushions to accommodate two people
Lowboy - American term for a small dressing table

Marquetry - the use of veneer and other inlays to make decorative patterns in wood
Married - term referring to an item of furniture that has been made up from two or more associated pieces, usually from the same period
MDF - medium density fiberboard; made from compressed particles of wood and used in the construction of furniture
Modernism - style of the 1920s and 1930s, which rejected ornamentation in favor of geometric forms and smooth surfaces
Modular seating - upholstered seating units which can be joined and rearranged with other units to form different seating arrangements
Mortise-and-tenon joint - a carpentry joint formed by inserting a tab or tenon into a closely fitting slot or mortise. Dovetailing is one variation
Motion furniture - furniture containing a mechanism or mechanisms, such as reclining backs or extending footrests, which allow it to adjust to your body for increased comfort
Mule chest - chest with drawers in the base; forerunner of the chest-of-drawers
Muntons/Muntins/Muttons/Mutons - dividers over glass panels in windows and china cabinets

Neoclassic - Mid to late 18th century of architecture and decoration based on the ancient forms Greece and Rome. See Style Guide.
Nest of tables - a set of occasional tables that slide one beneath the other when not in use

Ogee - descriptive of an edge or foot consisting of two curves, the top convex and the bottom concave, forming an S-curve
Ottoman - an upholstered footstool
Pad or club foot - a rounded foot that sits on a circular base; used in conjunction with cabriole legs on furniture
Parquetry - geometric marquetry made from veneers of various woods
Parsons leg - a long fully upholstered leg
Pedestal desk - a flat desk, usually with a leather top, that stands on two banks of drawers
Pedestal table - a table supported by a single central base
Pediment - equivalent in Classical architecture of a gable; a triangular head or topping
Pegged furniture - early joined furniture constructed by a system of slots and tenons, held together by dowels
Pembroke table - a small two-flap table that stands on four legs
Pencil-post bed - a bed with four slim posts; used alone or with a canopy
Pie-crust top - an ornately carved decorative edge of a dished-top tripod or tea-table
Pilaster - a false column used for decorative purposes
Platform base - three- or four-cornered flat table bases supporting a central pedestal and standing on scrolled or paw feet
Plywood - form of laminated wood with the grain of the alternate layers set at right angles
Post-modernism - a reaction against Modernism that began during the 1950s and promoted the reintroduction of bright colors and decorative components

Rail - horizontal spats of a chair back
Reeding - decoration created by narrow, convex moldings in parallel strips and divided by grooves
Rocaille - ornament style from the rococo period consisting of an abstract shell or leaf motif
Rococo - decorative style that evolved in the early 18th century partly as a reaction to the Baroque; featured asymmetrical ornament and flamboyant scrollwork. See Style Guide.
Rolled arms - arms which flare out and then down to meet the sides of a chair or sofa
Rule join - type of join on furniture contrived in such a way that, when open, no separation shows between the two joined parts
Runners - strips of wood on which doors slide

Sabot - French term for the gilt-bronze "shoe" at the bottom of furniture legs
Sabre leg - outward-curving leg that became fashionable on late 18th century Empire and Regency chairs
Seat rail - framework that supports the seat of a chair and holds the legs together
Secretary/Secrétaire - writing cabinet with a fall front that lets down to provide a writing surface; often has bookshelves above and drawers below
Secrétaire à abattant - type of writing cabinet with a fall front and resting on a chest-of-drawers or small cupboard
Sectional - a sofa that has several segments, which may be used in combination or separately to fit in a room
Serpentine - possessing a compound curvature
Settee - a long seat or bench with a back and arms; seats two or more people
Shellac - resinous varnish obtained from the lac insect and used in japanning
Shoe - a projecting piece rising from the back rail of a chair seat into which the base of the splat is fixed
Sideboard - a serving piece with a long, flat top and a lower section used for storage
Side chair - a chair without arms, designed to stand against a wall
Skirt - a piece of fabric at the bottom of a sofa, loveseat, or chair that hangs for decorative purposes
Slat-back chair - type of 17th century chair with slats across the back
Sleigh bed - a bed in which the head and footboards are scrolled
Sofa - a long seat with back and arms
Sofa table - a rectangular table with two hinged flaps at the ends designed to stand in front of a sofa
Spade foot - tapering foot of square section
Splat - central upright in a chair back, loosely applied to all members in a chair back
Squab cushion - loose flat cushion on the seat of a chair
Sussex chair - chair with an ash frame and rush seat, based on a traditional country design
Swan neck handle - curved handle popular in the 18th century

Table ambulante - French term for a small, portable occasional table
Tallboy - see chest-on-chest
Teapoy - a small piece of freestanding furniture designed for holding tea
Tee seat cushions - loose cushions whose outside front edges extend laterally in front of the arm of an upholstered piece
Tester - canopy or ceiling over a bed
Thrown chair - a chair constructed from turned pieces of wood
Thumbpiece - flange attached to a hinged lid, which, when pressed by the thumb, raises the lid
Transitional - a style created from the fusion of Neo-classical decoration with Rococo forms
Trestle table - a long narrow table with two uprights joined by a single stretcher
Tripod table - a small table with a round top supported by a three-legged pillar, originally made for serving tea
Triptych - a large, three-part hinged mirror, panel, or screen
Tuxedo arms - Slightly flared arms that are the same height as the back
Veneer - thin slice of expensive and often exotic timber applied to an inexpensive secondary timber using glue
Vitrine - china or curio cabinet with glass doors

Wainscot chair - early jointed chair with a paneled back, open arms, and wood seat
Wardrobe - a large cabinet or cupboard for hanging clothes
Wellington chest - a tall, narrow, relatively plain type of chest named after the Duke of Wellington
Welting - cord wrapped in fabric which is used to trim the upholstery seams and places where the fabric meets exposed wood
Whatnot - mobile stand with open shelves
Windsor chair - type of country chair with a spindle back and legs
Wing chair - a fully upholstered chair with wings at the sides to protect the sitter from drafts; also known as a "wing-back"
Worm holes - small holes found in wood, considered a defect in many instances and a character-providing element in others