toilet-table
Definition
- Noun:
- A dressing table: "toilet-table" refers to a small table with a mirror, typically used for grooming, applying cosmetics, and arranging one's hair. It is often found in a bedroom or dressing room.
Usage Examples
- (A small table used for personal grooming.)
- (A dressing table with a mirror, used for applying makeup.)
Advanced Usage
- "toilet-table set": a matching set of items (e.g., brush, comb, mirror) kept on a toilet-table.
- Her grandmother gave her a silver toilet-table set as a wedding gift. (A coordinated grooming set for the dressing table.)
Variants and Related Words
- Toilet (n): a room or fixture for waste disposal; also historically refers to the process of dressing and grooming.
- She spent an hour at her toilet before the ball. (Historical usage meaning the act of dressing and grooming.)
- Table (n): a piece of furniture with a flat top and legs.
- The table in the dining room seats eight people. (A general furniture item.)
Synonyms
- Dressing table: a table with a mirror used for grooming.
- Vanity table: a dressing table, often with drawers and a mirror.
- Bureau: in some contexts, a chest of drawers that may include a mirror (but not identical to a toilet-table).
Related Idioms
- At one's toilet: engaged in the process of dressing and grooming.
- She was at her toilet when the guests arrived. (She was in the middle of preparing herself.)
Notes
- The term "toilet-table" is somewhat dated or formal, often used in historical or literary contexts. In modern English, "dressing table" or "vanity" is more common. The word "toilet" here derives from French , meaning the act of washing, dressing, and grooming, not the modern sense of a bathroom fixture.