sideboard

A sideboard, also called a buffet, is an item of furniture traditionally used in the dining room for serving food, displaying serving dishes, and for storage. It usually consists of a set of cabinets, or cupboards, and one or more drawers, all topped by a wooden surface for conveniently holding food, serving dishes, or lighting devices. The words sideboard and buffet are somewhat interchangeable, but if the item has short legs, or a base that sits directly on the floor with no legs, it is more likely to be called a sideboard; if it has longer legs, it is more likely to be called a buffet. • Illustration — A Waterfall-style sideboard • Illustration — The Chevy Chase Sideboard by Gerrard Robinson, often considered to be one of the finest furniture pieces of the 19th century and an icon of Victorian furniture The earliest versions of the sideboard familiar today made their appearance in the 18th century, but they gained most of their popularity during the 19th century, as households became prosperous enough to dedicate a room solely to dining.

Also recorded as dresser · buffet