Definition

Noun: A tilt-top table is a type of pedestal table (a table supported by a single central column) with a top that is attached by a hinge mechanism. This hinge allows the top to be pivoted or tilted from a horizontal, usable position to a vertical, storage-friendly position against the wall or column.

Usage

This term specifically refers to the complete object: a table with this hinged-top feature. It is used to describe a piece of furniture, often antique or traditional in design. * The antique dealer specialized in restoring 18th-century tilt-top tables. * To save space in the small parlor, she tilted the top of the tilt-top table against the wall.

Advanced Usage

• Historical Context: Tilt-top tables were particularly popular in the 18th and 19th centuries. The design was practical for multi-purpose rooms, allowing the table to be stored compactly when not in use for dining, writing, or tea service.
• Mechanism: The tilting mechanism often involves a "birdcage" support or a "pillar-and-claw" base that allows the top to rotate and lock in both positions.

Variants and Related Words

• Tip-top table: A less common variant name.
• Tilt-top: Often used adjectivally (e.g., , ).
• Pembroke table: A related but distinct type of small table with drop leaves. Unlike a tilt-top, a Pembroke table's leaves fold down vertically, but its main top does not tilt as a single unit.
• Pedestal table: The broader category of tables supported by a central column, to which tilt-top tables belong.

Synonyms

• Tip table (archaic/less common)
• Tilting table

Antonyms / Contrasting Terms

• Fixed-top table: A table with a permanently horizontal, non-moving top.
• Drop-leaf table: A table with hinged sections at the sides that fold down vertically, not a single top that tilts vertically.

Noun

1. a pedestal table whose top is hinged so that it can be tilted to a vertical position