English

settee

gb/sˈɛtˈi/ us/sˈɛtˈi/
C1 English
Senses
0 senses
Noun C1 entity
1

a small sofa

A small sofa for sitting.

Usage pattern: on the settee; sit on a settee
Common mistake:
Learners often confuse settee with settle (a different, more old-fashioned kind of wooden bench).
Synonyms
sofa (More general and more common in modern English.) | couch (Common in American English; often more casual.) | loveseat (Specifically a small two-person sofa (especially in North American English).)
Collocations
a two-seater settee |a small settee |a leather settee |a velvet settee |a comfortable settee |a new settee |an old settee |sit on the settee |curl up on the settee |a settee in the living room
Themes
home |furniture |daily_life
Examples
  • We bought a small settee for the corner of the living room.
  • He sat down on the settee and took off his shoes.
  • The hotel lobby had a velvet settee by the window.
Learner examples
  • I sat on the settee.
  • The settee is in the living room.
Noun literary C2 entity
2

a long bench with a back

A long bench seat with a back.

Usage pattern: a settee in [place]
Common mistake:
This older sense overlaps with bench/settle; in modern everyday English, people usually just say bench.
Synonyms
bench (More common modern word; may not suggest upholstery.) | settle (More specifically a heavy wooden bench with storage; strongly old-fashioned.)
Collocations
a wooden settee |a carved settee |a hallway settee |a garden settee |a settee by the door |a settee in the hall
Themes
furniture |home
Examples
  • A carved wooden settee stood in the entrance hall.
  • She left her bag on the settee by the door.
  • The old cottage had a painted settee beside the hearth.
Learner examples
  • There is a settee in the hall.
Grammar
Dictionary form
settee
IPA
GB/sˈɛtˈi/
US/sˈɛtˈi/
Syllables & stress
settee (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (settee)
Word forms
Noun
  • Base: settee
  • Plural: settees
Expressions

No expressions linked to this entry yet.

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