davenport

See also: Davenport

English

Etymology

The sofa sense is a genericized trademark named after the defunct furniture manufacturer A. H. Davenport and Company.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈdævənpɔːt/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈdævɪnˌpɔɹt/

Noun

davenport (plural davenports)

1. A large sofa, especially a formal one.
   • 1922, Sinclair Lewis, Babbitt:

     He blundered into the living-room, lay on the davenport, hands behind his head.

   • 1955, Beverly Cleary, Beezus and Ramona:

     Beezus felt a little better. She curled up on the davenport again with 202 Things to Do on a Rainy Afternoon and read about making Christmas tree ornaments out of cellophane straws, until she heard her aunt's car turn into the driveway.

2. A writing desk.
   • 1894, E[dith Anna] Œ[none] Somerville, Martin Ross [pseudonym; Violet Florence Martin], chapter IV, in The Real Charlotte […], volume I, London: Ward and Downey […], →OCLC, page 47:

     Then she went into the house, and, sitting down at the davenport in the dining-room, got out a sheet of her best notepaper, and wrote a note to Pamela Dysart in her strong, commercially clear hand.

   • 1944, Billy Wilder, Raymond Chandler, Double Indemnity, (screenplay):

     He crosses to the davenport to get the policies from his briefcase,

Anagrams

• provanted