However, most people rarely distinguish between the terms, and davenport is the trade name for basically the same piece of furniture. Depending on who's speaking, a sofa is a more formal name for the piece of furniture, while the word "couch" may conjure an image of a big, fluffy, casual piece of furniture.
A sofa may invite sitting, while a couch is definitely made for lounging. The pasha or Ottoman emperor depicted lounging on a cushy, bed-like sofa is literature is actually resting on a divan. The difference between a sofa and a divan is that the divan has an open side, similar to a mattress without sides. The mattress is placed on a frame, upon which a person of importance rests, holds court and otherwise displays his grandiosity in front of his courtiers.
They consist of mattresses placed on top of a frame with no embellishment. Daybeds are considered divans, especially when pushed up against a wall. Although rarely heard these days, the term "davenport" can refer to two totally unrelated pieces of furniture: a type of sofa or a type of writing desk. The use of the term "Davenport" for sofa began around when the Cambridge, Massachusetts, furniture manufacturer A. Davenport Co. The term can also mean a sleeper sofa.
The word "davenport" was used for a time as a generic term for any sofa, in the same way, the brand name Kleenex became synonymous with disposable tissues. This type of sofa became all the rage; however, the term Davenport is rarely used today except regionally, where it has limited use as a synonym for "couch. In some parts of the country, the term is associated with a particular type of formal couch or with a futon-style couch with storage drawers in its base. The Davenport company was one of the most prominent American furniture manufacturers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The company manufactured custom upscale furniture and partnered with well-known architects such as H. Richardson and Stanford White to produce grand interiors. After a long decline, the once-legendary company closed for good in The second known use for the term "Davenport" is for a small British desk that is unique in form. This desk, also called a ship's captain's desk, was originally made for a man known only as Captain Davenport, who originally commissioned it from the Gillows of Lancaster company near the end of the 18th century.
Send us feedback. Our team at The Usage has selected the best kids' desks of See more words from the same year. Accessed 11 Nov. Nglish: Translation of davenport for Spanish Speakers.
Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free! Log in Sign Up. Save Word. Definition of davenport Entry 1 of 3. Davenport biographical name. Definition of Davenport Entry 2 of 3. John — American English-born clergyman and founder of New Haven colony. Davenport geographical name.
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