Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
🥤 A table mat 🌊 A coastal person
coaster

coaster

84 1.0
A small mat placed under a glass to protect the table from water or heat
  • noun
  • /ˈkoʊstər/
translation icon : posavasos
  • She chose colorful coasters to match her living room decor.

And then when someone comes over, you tell them we have coasters.

Examples

  • I literally bought coasters and table mats.

  • Now, be sure and use the coasters.

    The Duke (2021)

  • There is no coaster on this table.

    Just Like Heaven (2005)

  • But just the coasters and the napkins.

    Striptease (1996)

  • We've probably all tried to arrest the wobble with a coaster or two under one foot.

    Academic text (2009)

  • Also, I just got these little coasters from Anthropology and I'm in love with them.

  • Make sure to place your glass on a coaster to avoid leaving water rings on the table.

  • These round coasters are perfect for protecting the wood table from heat.

Compounds

roller coaster
42 1.6

A fast amusement park ride with steep slopes and sharp turns

roller coaster
  • Informal
33 3.4

A situation with sudden extreme changes in mood or luck

coaster brake
  • Specialized
1 4.1

A device on a bicycle that stops the wheel when you pedal backward

coaster wagon
  • US
3.1

A small four-wheeled cart for children to pull or ride in

How Protective

trivet
1 7.9
placemat
12 1.6
coaster
84 1.0
saucer
22 1.0
napkin
168 1.0

Surface Forms

coaster singular
coasters plural

Morphology

coaster = coast (opaque) = coast + er

Although the form can be analyzed as coast + -er, the drink-mat meaning is a specialized noun sense that is not directly predictable from the verb.

Etymology

Coaster for the small mat is easy to remember: a helpful way to think of it is the mat 'coasting' under your glass to catch drops and protect the table. So a coaster keeps the surface safe from water rings and heat.