place mat

noun

: a small often rectangular table mat on which a place setting is laid

Examples of place mat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Presidential posters in classrooms and place mats in restaurants would never look the same. — Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Aug. 2026

Today, street vendors line Broadway, setting up place mats and selling small quantities of fruits and vegetables. — Los Angeles Times, 4 Aug. 2026

Use place mats or tablecloths on your kitchen table to keep food spills, condensation from drinks, and utensils from marring or staining the surface. — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 29 May 2026

Here, traditional Portuguese handicrafts—olive wood chopping boards, floral linen place mats—sit alongside more playful works by contemporary artisans and creatives. — Catarina Loureiro, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1928, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for place mat

• acrobat
• autocrat
• automat
• bundesrat
• bureaucrat
• butterfat
• caveat
• chemostat
• copycat
• cryostat
• democrat
• diplomat

Kids Definition

place mat

noun

: a small table mat on which a place setting is laid