banquette

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See also: banquet

English

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Etymology

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Borrowed from French banquette, the diminutive form of banc; by surface analysis, bank +‎ -ette.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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banquette (plural banquettes)

  1. (military) A narrow area behind a defensive wall's parapet elevated above its terreplein and used by defenders to shoot at attackers.
  2. A bench built into a wall, especially (military) one built into a wall of a defensive trench, used for sitting and for shooting at attackers.
  3. An upholstered bench, e.g., along a wall of a restaurant or lounge area.
    • 2017, Fiona Lewis, Mistakes Were Made (Some in French), Simon and Schuster, →ISBN, page 165:
      Stoned, she would traipse in, overtly sexual in last night's dress, and throw herself exhausted across the banquette.
  4. (dated) A bench or similar seat on top of a diligence or other public vehicle.
    • 1899, Julia Ward Howe, Reminiscences:
      My brother-in-law [] took refuge in the banquette.
  5. (Louisiana, Texas) A sidewalk.
    • 1899, Kate Chopin, The Awakening:
      The boys were dragging along the banquette a small “express wagon,” which they had filled with blocks and sticks.
    • a. 1969, John Kennedy Toole, A Confederacy of Dunces, Penguin, published 1981, →ISBN:
      “Get the hell away from that stove, Charmaine, and go play out on the banquette before I bust you right in the mouth.”

References

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French

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Etymology

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Borrowed from Italian banchetta, diminutive of banca (bench).

Pronunciation

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Noun

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banquette f (plural banquettes)

  1. bench

Derived terms

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Descendants

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  • English: banquette
  • Russian: банке́т (bankét) (see there for further descendants)
  • Serbo-Croatian: bànkēt, ба̀нке̄т
  • Turkish: banket

Further reading

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