chesterfield

¹

[ ches-ter-feeld ]

noun

1. (sometimes initial capital letter) a single- or double-breasted topcoat or overcoat with a fly front and a narrow velvet collar.
2. a large, overstuffed sofa or divan with a back and upholstered arms.
3. Chiefly Canadian. any large sofa or couch.

Chesterfield

²

[ ches-ter-feeld ]

noun

1. Phil·ip Dor·mer Stan·hope [fil, ip , dawr, -mer , stan, -, uh, p], 4th Earl of, 1694–1773, British statesman and author.

chesterfield

¹

/ ˈtʃɛstəˌfiːld /

noun

1. a man's knee-length overcoat, usually with a fly front to conceal the buttons and having a velvet collar
2. a large tightly stuffed sofa, often upholstered in leather, with straight upholstered arms of the same height as the back

Chesterfield

²

/ ˈtʃɛstəˌfiːld /

noun

1. an industrial town in N central England, in Derbyshire: famous 14th-century church with twisted spire. Pop: 70 260 (2001)

Chesterfield

³

/ ˈtʃɛstəˌfiːld /

noun

1. Chesterfield, 4th Earl of Chesterfield16941773MEnglishPOLITICS: statesmanWRITING: writer Philip Dormer Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield. 1694–1773, English statesman and writer, noted for his elegance, suavity, and wit; author of Letters to His Son (1774)

Word History and Origins

Origin of chesterfield¹

First recorded in 1885–90; named after an Earl of Chesterfield in the 19th century

Word History and Origins

Origin of chesterfield¹

C19: named after a 19th-century Earl of Chesterfield

Example Sentences

Designer Timothy Oulton is known for updating iconic pieces like chesterfield sofas and lounge chairs by playing with scale or adding dramatic upholstery.

From Washington Times

He takes classic pieces like tufted leather chesterfields, steamer trunks and Deco-era chandeliers, and plays with scale, incorporates a cheeky flag print, or re-interprets a saddle or aviator’s chair as seating.

From Seattle Times

The black and white entryway, with a white chesterfield sofa and mosaic tile floor, might be at home on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.

From New York Times

Check that: Couch Slouch can sit on the chesterfield and chew gum at the same time.

From Washington Post

She told the jury, “He drugged her, and then he put her on the chesterfield”—meaning the couch—“and then he did whatever he wanted. He knew she was unconscious.”

From The New Yorker

Related Words

• bed
• chair
• lounge