banquette

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noun ban·quette \ baŋ-ˈket , ban- , sense 1b is also ˈbaŋ-kət \

Definition of banquette

1 a :a raised way along the inside of a parapet or trench for gunners or guns

b Southern :sidewalk

2 a :a long upholstered bench

b :a sofa having one roll-over arm

c :a built-in usually upholstered bench along a wall

Recent Examples of banquette from the Web

Seating is at counters, booths or against a banquette where tables are easily merged to accommodate impromptu groups that might be unwinding from the workday, or extending it.

— providence cicero, The Seattle Times, "The all-day Café Hitchcock is poised for success," 16 Aug. 2017
Hilton climbs up on the banquette, stilettos digging into black velvet.

— irin carmon, Marie Claire, "Paris Hilton Is the Hardest-Working Woman in the Game," 14 Aug. 2017
The waterfall island offers plenty of seating, and a breakfast table with banquette seating is another place to congregate.

— birmingham magazine, AL.com, "Elegance and convenience combine in this showstopping Alys Beach home," 9 Aug. 2017
Hanging bulbs illuminate the front area, which includes the long bar and a banquette boasting a kitschy, horse-and-hounds fabric Schor found online.

— phil vettel, chicagotribune.com, "Review: At Split-Rail, Midwest potluck food gets a clever makeover," 21 July 2017
The dining room is set with white tablecloths and chocolate brown leather seats and banquettes.

— michael klein, Philly.com, "The Palm to reopen this weekend after more than a year," 11 July 2017
The 85-seat restaurant features an open kitchen with counter seating, as well as table seats and banquettes, a bar, and a private dining room with a sidewalk-level view of the McWane Science Center across the street.

— bob carlton, AL.com, "Italian restaurant opening in Birmingham's Pizitz Food Hall," 7 July 2017
There’s no industry standard (or fire code) for distance between tables, but Robson considers 16 inches a good minimum at banquettes, where space is usually tightest.

— tom sietsema, The Denver Post, "The latest loathsome restaurant trend: no space between tables," 16 June 2017
Design-wise, banquettes give restaurants the greatest amount of flexibility, allowing them to easily push tables together or pull them apart to accommodate different party sizes.

— tom sietsema, chicagotribune.com, "Why personal space isn't on the menu at many restaurants," 14 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'banquette.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.