Ottoman

/ˈɑtəmən/ adj, name, noun

adj, name, noun ·Moderate ·High school level

Meaning at a glance

  • Primary sense: An upholstered sofa, without arms or a back, sometimes with a compartment for storing linen etc.
  • Grammar: ottoman is listed as adj, name, noun.
  • Nearest alternatives: footstool, chair, cushioned stool, footrest.
  • Useful contrasts: armchair, contemporary, modern.
  • Usage evidence: Ottoman Turks conquered Egypt in 1517.

How to use "ottoman"

  1. Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
  2. Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "ottoman" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
  3. Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.

Meaning check

  • Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
  • Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
  • Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
  • Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?

Source and review context

This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "ottoman" in a final draft.

If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.

Before you rely on this definition

Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "ottoman" as the right word for your sentence.

If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "ottoman" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.

Compare nearby meanings

  • Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
  • Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
  • Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
  • Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.

Definition decision workflow

1. Identify the role

Check whether "ottoman" is acting as adj, name, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.

2. Test the nearest option

Compare it with "footstool" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.

3. Confirm with context

Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.

Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.

Final meaning check

Before publishing a sentence with "ottoman", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.

When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    An upholstered sofa, without arms or a back, sometimes with a compartment for storing linen etc. countable, uncountable

    "In the middle of the room there is a big ottoman; and this, with the carpet, the Morris wall-papers, and the Morris chintz window curtains and brocade covers of the ottoman and its cushions, supply all the ornament, and are much too handsome to be hidden by odds and ends of useless things."

  2. 2
    A member of the Ottoman dynasty.

    "[…] the Ottomans were a dynasty like every other, subject to the same laws of the rise and fall of states."

  3. 3
    a low seat or a stool to rest the feet of a seated person wordnet
  4. 4
    A low stool or thick cushion used to rest the feet or as a seat. countable, uncountable

    "This ottoman is set on casters, and is a great convenience for holding articles, while serving also as a seat."

  5. 5
    A citizen of the Ottoman Empire.

    "Nearly 250,000 Ottomans of various military ranks were taken captive by the Allied forces during World War I, which was referred to in Turkish variously as Büyük Harp, Cihan Harbi and Harb-i Umumi (or simply Seferberlik among the older generation of Turks) until World War II."

Show 5 more definitions
  1. 6
    thick cushion used as a seat wordnet
  2. 7
    A fabric with a pronounced ribbed or corded effect, often made of silk or a mixture of cotton and silk-like yarns. countable, uncountable
  3. 8
    A citizen of the Ottoman Empire.; An ethnic Turk of the Ottoman Empire.
  4. 9
    the Turkish dynasty that ruled the Ottoman Empire from the 13th century to its dissolution after World War I wordnet
  5. 10
    a Turk (especially a Turk who is a member of the tribe of Osman I) wordnet
Adjective
  1. 1
    Of or relating to the Ottoman dynasty or the Ottoman Empire. not-comparable
  2. 2
    Of or relating to the Ottoman dynasty or the Ottoman Empire.; Of or relating to the ethnic Turks of the Ottoman Empire. not-comparable
Adjective
  1. 1
    of or relating to the Ottoman Empire or its people or its culture wordnet
Proper Noun
  1. 1
    Archaic form of Osman, the name borne by; Osman I (d. 1323/4), founder of the Ottoman Empire.

    "In the beginning of this yere Sulton Solyman Pac called yͤ great Turke which was but the. viii. of the ligne of Ottoman, the firſt that toke vpō hym to be a great capitain or ruler […]"

  2. 2
    The Ottoman Turkish language.

    "[…] translated into Ottoman by a certain Mehmed Efendi […]"

  3. 3
    Archaic form of Osman, the name borne by; Osman II (1604–1622), sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1618 until his death.

    "And in the year 1618. (when Ottoman the ſecond (who ſucceeded his Uncle Muſtapha) was unſuccessful in his war againſt Poland, and was therefore ſlain by his Janizaries) […]"

  4. 4
    Archaic form of Osman, the name borne by; Osman III (1699–1757), sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1754 until his death.

    "Ottoman III."

Synonyms

All synonyms
footstoolchaircushioned stoolfootrestfootstoolshassock

Example

"Ottoman Turks conquered Egypt in 1517."

Common questions

What does "ottoman" mean?

An upholstered sofa, without arms or a back, sometimes with a compartment for storing linen etc.

What is a synonym for "ottoman"?

Common synonyms include: footstool, chair, cushioned stool, footrest, footstools, hassock.

How do you use "ottoman" in a sentence?

Ottoman Turks conquered Egypt in 1517.

How do you pronounce "ottoman"?

Pronounced /ˈɑtəmən/.

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Ottoman in the early 19th century; so named because reclining on a couch was associated with Middle Eastern customs.

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Middle French Ottoman (“Osman”), from Italian Ottomano (“Osman”), from Ottoman Turkish عثمان, from Arabic عُثْمَان (ʕuṯmān, male given name). Doublet of Osman and Uthman.

Etymology 3

Ellipsis of Ottoman Turkish.

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Synonyms

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