gateleg table
- noun
:
mesa de patas abatibles
- They enjoyed a cozy breakfast at the gateleg table, which had two drop leaves to extend its size.
Examples
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Harold and Susan washed the dishes, and by the time they were done, my mother and I had folded up the gateleg table, and I had swept the crumbs up with the carpet sweeper.
Fiction book (2000) -
We opened the gateleg table in the living room and brought in the kitchen chairs.
Fiction book (2000) -
A gateleg table was set for three, and the parlormaid waited to serve the soup.
Fiction book (1990) -
We had to navigate bookcases, beds, a gateleg table, bureaus, a record player and radio console, stacks of 78 albums, my brother's trombone and music stand, and so on.
Fiction book (2000) -
We opened the gateleg table in the living room for extra dining space during the family gathering.
-
The gateleg table folded neatly against the wall when not in use, saving space in the small apartment.
Synonyms
A table with sides that fold down to save space and lift up to make it larger
How Expandable
Surface Forms
Morphology
gateleg + table
The compound 'gateleg table' gives a partial clue from the constituents: a B1 learner who knows 'gate' and 'leg' can infer legs that operate like gates and so might guess the table has movable/swinging supports. However, the term is a specialized furniture word tied to the concept of hinged 'drop leaves' and specific support mechanics, so the full sense is not reliably predictable to learners without prior exposure.
Etymology
Gateleg table gets its name from the table's moving parts: hinged leaves that 'fold' down and legs that swing out like small gates to hold them up. So, a gateleg table can 'fold' to save space or 'extend' to seat more people.