la banquette
bench · booth
Siège long et étroit, souvent rembourré, où plusieurs personnes peuvent s’asseoir côte à côte.
Banquette (French noun)
Meaning:
-
Bench/Seating:
A banquette usually refers to a long seat or bench often built against a wall, commonly upholstered and used in dining areas, cafés, or public spaces. It's designed to seat multiple people side by side. -
Raised Platform (Military/Historical):
In a military or historical context, a banquette is a narrow step or platform behind a parapet on a fortification, allowing soldiers to stand and fire over the wall.
Parts:
- The word banquette is a diminutive form derived from banc (bench), with the suffix -ette implying a smaller or more specific kind of bench.
Synonyms:
- For seating: bench, sofas, settee, pew (church seating), pewter (less common)
- For military term: step, firing step, ledge
Antonyms:
- Chair (individual seating versus long bench)
- Open space/no seating
Usage notes:
- In interior design, banquettes are popular in creating cozy or space-efficient dining corners.
- In historical or military analytic texts, banquette is a technical term referring to a defensive architectural feature.
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Examples
Nous nous asseyons sur la banquette.noun
We sit on the bench.
Ils ont choisi une banquette près de la fenêtre.noun
They chose a booth near the window.
La vieille banquette a été réparée hier.noun
The old bench was repaired yesterday.
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