chiffonnière

[ shif-uh-neer; French shee-faw-nyer ]

noun

, French Furniture.

, plural chif·fon·nières [shif-, uh, -, neerz, shee-faw-, nyer].

1. a worktable of the 18th century, having several tiers of shallow drawers.

Word History and Origins

Origin of chiffonnière¹

1800–10; < French, feminine of chiffonnier. See chiffonier

Example Sentences

The chairs and couches shone in slippery satin, with wonderful rosewood convolutions wriggling out from them, that one could hardly venture to call legs; and there was a terrible chiffonniere, full of looking-glasses, with a marble top, reflecting all these splendours over and over again—which was quite unnecessary.

From Project Gutenberg

On trying to the left, he found that his hand rested on a chiffonnière, his touch displacing a china cup and saucer standing upon the marble top.

From Project Gutenberg

In the first room, a great glass chiffonnière stood opposite the windows, ornamented by pillars supported by gilded angels.

From Project Gutenberg

And, as we are come on matrimonial speculations, I may inform you, gracious reader, that the lower part of the chiffonnière contains real old silver-plate for forty-eight persons; and that the large cabinet is filled with the finest table-linen, among which is still preserved that which grandmamma had spun with her own hands.

From Project Gutenberg

There was a grand pianoforte too, and a glass chiffonnière, in which all her little birthday and holiday gifts were arranged.

From Project Gutenberg