Couch

A couch—also called a sofa, settee, chesterfield, or davenport—is a cushioned seat built for multiple people. Typically shaped like a bench with upholstered armrests, it often contains springs beneath tailored cushions and pillows. While mainly used for sitting, it can also serve as a sleeping surface. In private homes, couches are usually placed in family rooms, living rooms, dens, or lounges. Outside the home, they appear in hotels, office lobbies, waiting rooms, and bars. Couches come in many sizes, colors, and designs.

The word *couch* originally referred to furniture meant for lying or sleeping. It is used mainly in North America, Australia, South Africa, and Ireland, while *sofa* and *settee* are more common in the United Kingdom and India. *Couch* entered Middle English from the Old French noun *couche*, which came from a verb meaning “to lie down.” *Sofa* traces back to Turkish, from the Arabic *suffah* (“ledge/bench”), related to the Aramaic *sippa* (“mat”). In 1730, Nathan Bailey’s *Dictionarium Britannicum* defined a sofa as “a sort of alcove much used in Asia … furnished with rich carpets and cushions.” *Settee* comes from the Old English *setl*, which described long benches with high backs and arms; today it generally means a small upholstered seat. Both “sofa” and “settee” entered use around the early 1700s, with *settee* originally denoting a smaller sofa—a distinction lost by the 1900s. Other synonyms include divan, davenport, lounge, and canapé. In Canadian English, especially among older speakers, *chesterfield* can refer to any couch or sofa, though a 1992 survey in Ontario’s Golden Horseshoe region found the term fading.

Common types include the two-seater (often called a loveseat) and the sofa, which has more than two cushion seats. A sectional sofa, or simply “sectional,” is made of multiple pieces—typically two, three, or four—that join at a 90-degree angle or slightly more, wrapping around walls or other furniture. Other variants are the divan, the fainting couch (backless or with a partial back), and the canapé (an ornamental three-seater). To save space, some sofas double as beds, such as sofa beds, daybeds, or futons. A set with a sofa and two matching chairs is called a “chesterfield suite” or “living-room suite.” In the UK and Canada, *chesterfield* once meant any couch; now it describes a deep-buttoned sofa, usually leather, with arms and back of equal height. The first such chesterfield, with its quilted leather and low seat base, was commissioned by Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield (1694–1773).

A couch’s construction includes a frame (usually wood, but also steel, plastic, or laminated boards), springs, padding (foam, down, feathers, fabric, or a mix), and a covering (soft leather, corduroy, or linen). Springs under the padding add support, though some couches lack them.