"From the tomb of Ramses the Third." — Goodrich, 1844

Egyptian Ottoman

"From the tomb of Ramses the Third." — Goodrich, 1844

An illustration of an Egyptian seat made of ivory and ebony wood.

Egyptian Ivory and Ebony Seat

An illustration of an Egyptian seat made of ivory and ebony wood.

"Settee. A vessel with one deck and a very long sharp prow, carrying two or three masts with lateen sails, used on the Mediterranean." -Whitney, 1911

Settee

"Settee. A vessel with one deck and a very long sharp prow, carrying two or three masts with lateen…

A couch or "Darby and Joan seat, a settee having two chair-like backs, for two persons." -Whitney, 1911

Settee

A couch or "Darby and Joan seat, a settee having two chair-like backs, for two persons." -Whitney, 1911

A couch is a generic term in North America and Australia, for an item of furniture designed to seat more than one person. Typically it will have an armrest on either side. Couches are normally found in the family room, living room, den or the lounge. They are covered in a variety of textiles or in leather.

Front View of a Settee

A couch is a generic term in North America and Australia, for an item of furniture designed to seat…

The most common types of couches are the loveseat and the settee or sofa.

Side View of a Settee

The most common types of couches are the loveseat and the settee or sofa.

"A seat or bench of a particular form. A sofa; especially a sofa of peculiar pattern, as a short one for two persons only, or one having two or three chairbacks instead of a continuous back...A small part taken off from a long and large sofa by a kind of arm: thus, a long sofa may have a settee at each end partly cut off from the body of the piece." —Whitney, 1889
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This illustration is of an 18th century sofa.

Sofa with Two Settees

"A seat or bench of a particular form. A sofa; especially a sofa of peculiar pattern, as a short one…