DICT.TW Dictionary Taiwan

 Ta·ble n.
 1. A smooth, flat surface, like the side of a board; a thin, flat, smooth piece of anything; a slab.
    A bagnio paved with fair tables of marble.   --Sandys.
 2. A thin, flat piece of wood, stone, metal, or other material, on which anything is cut, traced, written, or painted; a tablet; pl. a memorandum book. “The names . . . written on his tables.”
    And the Lord said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first, and I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables, which thou brakest.   --Ex. xxxiv. 1.
 And stand there with your tables to glean
 The golden sentences.   --Beau. & Fl.
 3. Any smooth, flat surface upon which an inscription, a drawing, or the like, may be produced. “Painted in a table plain.”
    The opposite walls are painted by Rubens, which, with that other of the Infanta taking leave of Don Philip, is a most incomparable table.   --Evelyn.
    St. Antony has a table that hangs up to him from a poor peasant.   --Addison.
 4. Hence, in a great variety of applications: A condensed statement which may be comprehended by the eye in a single view; a methodical or systematic synopsis; the presentation of many items or particulars in one group; a scheme; a schedule. Specifically: --
 (a) Bibliog. A view of the contents of a work; a statement of the principal topics discussed; an index; a syllabus; a synopsis; as, a table of contents.
 (b) Chem. A list of substances and their properties; especially, the a list of the elementary substances with their atomic weights, densities, symbols, etc.; the periodic table of the elements.
 (c) Mathematics, Science and Technology  Any collection and arrangement in a condensed form of many particulars or values, for ready reference, as of weights, measures, currency, specific gravities, etc.; also, a series of numbers following some law, and expressing particular values corresponding to certain other numbers on which they depend, and by means of which they are taken out for use in computations; as, tables of logarithms, sines, tangents, squares, cubes, etc.; annuity tables; interest tables; astronomical tables; a table of logarithms, etc.
 (d) Palmistry The arrangement or disposition of the lines which appear on the inside of the hand.
 Mistress of a fairer table
 Hath not history for fable.   --B. Jonson.
 5. An article of furniture, consisting of a flat slab, board, or the like, having a smooth surface, fixed horizontally on legs, and used for a great variety of purposes, as in eating, writing, or working.
 We may again
 Give to our tables meat.   --Shak.
    The nymph the table spread.   --Pope.
 6. Hence, food placed on a table to be partaken of; fare; entertainment; as, to set a good table.
 7. The company assembled round a table.
    I drink the general joy of the whole table.   --Shak.
 8. Anat. One of the two, external and internal, layers of compact bone, separated by diploe, in the walls of the cranium.
 9. Arch. A stringcourse which includes an offset; esp., a band of stone, or the like, set where an offset is required, so as to make it decorative. See Water table.
 10. Games (a) The board on the opposite sides of which backgammon and draughts are played. (b) One of the divisions of a backgammon board; as, to play into the right-hand table. (c) pl. The games of backgammon and of draughts. [Obs.]
 This is the ape of form, monsieur the nice,
 That, when he plays at tables, chides the dice.   --Shak.
 11. Glass Manuf. A circular plate of crown glass.
    A circular plate or table of about five feet diameter weighs on an average nine pounds.   --Ure.
 12. Jewelry The upper flat surface of a diamond or other precious stone, the sides of which are cut in angles.
 13. Persp. A plane surface, supposed to be transparent and perpendicular to the horizon; -- called also perspective plane.
 14. Mach. The part of a machine tool on which the work rests and is fastened.
 Bench table, Card table, Communion table, Lord's table, etc. See under Bench, Card, etc.
 Raised table Arch. & Sculp., a raised or projecting member of a flat surface, large in proportion to the projection, and usually rectangular, -- especially intended to receive an inscription or the like.
 Roller table Horology, a flat disk on the arbor of the balance of a watch, holding the jewel which rolls in and out of the fork at the end of the lever of the escapement.
 Round table. See Dictionary of Noted Names in Fiction.
 Table anvil, a small anvil to be fastened to a table for use in making slight repairs.
 Table base. Arch. Same as Water table.
 Table bed, a bed in the form of a table.
 Table beer, beer for table, or for common use; small beer.
 Table bell, a small bell to be used at table for calling servants.
 Table cover, a cloth for covering a table, especially at other than mealtimes.
 Table diamond, a thin diamond cut with a flat upper surface.
 Table linen, linen tablecloth, napkins, and the like.
 Table money Mil. or Naut., an allowance sometimes made to officers over and above their pay, for table expenses.
 Table rent O. Eng. Law, rent paid to a bishop or religious, reserved or appropriated to his table or housekeeping. --Burrill.
 Table shore Naut., a low, level shore.
 Table talk, conversation at table, or at meals.
 Table talker, one who talks at table.
 Table tipping, Table turning, certain movements of tables, etc., attributed by some to the agency of departed spirits, and by others to the development of latent vital or spriritual forces, but more commonly ascribed to the muscular force of persons in connection with the objects moved, or to physical force applied otherwise.
 Tables of a girder or Tables of a chord Engin., the upper and lower horizontal members.
 To lay on the table, in parliamentary usage, to lay, as a report, motion, etc., on the table of the presiding officer, -- that is, to postpone the consideration of, by a vote; -- also called to table .  It is a tactic often used with the intention of postponing consideration of a motion indefinitely, that is, to kill the motion.
 To serve tables Script., to provide for the poor, or to distribute provisions for their wants. --Acts vi. 2.
 To turn the tables, to change the condition or fortune of contending parties; -- a metaphorical expression taken from the vicissitudes of fortune in gaming.
 Twelve tables Rom. Antiq., a celebrated body of Roman laws, framed by decemvirs appointed 450 years before Christ, on the return of deputies or commissioners who had been sent to Greece to examine into foreign laws and institutions. They consisted partly of laws transcribed from the institutions of other nations, partly of such as were altered and accommodated to the manners of the Romans, partly of new provisions, and mainly, perhaps, of laws and usages under their ancient kings. --Burrill.

 Card n.
 1. A piece of pasteboard, or thick paper, blank or prepared for various uses; as, a playing card; a visiting card; a card of invitation; pl. a game played with cards.
    Our first cards were to Carabas House.   --Thackeray.
 2. A published note, containing a brief statement, explanation, request, expression of thanks, or the like; as, to put a card in the newspapers. Also, a printed programme, and (fig.), an attraction or inducement; as, this will be a good card for the last day of the fair.
 3. A paper on which the points of the compass are marked; the dial or face of the mariner's compass.
 All the quartere that they know
 I' the shipman's card.   --Shak.
 4. Weaving A perforated pasteboard or sheet-metal plate for warp threads, making part of the Jacquard apparatus of a loom. See Jacquard.
 5. An indicator card. See under Indicator.
 Business card, a card on which is printed an advertisement or business address.
 Card basket (a) A basket to hold visiting cards left by callers. (b) A basket made of cardboard.
 Card catalogue. See Catalogue.
 Card rack, a rack or frame for holding and displaying business or visiting card.
 Card table, a table for use inplaying cards, esp. one having a leaf which folds over.
 On the cards, likely to happen; foretold and expected but not yet brought to pass; -- a phrase of fortune tellers that has come into common use; also, according to the programme.
 Playing card, cards used in playing games; specifically, the cards cards used playing which and other games of chance, and having each pack divided onto four kinds or suits called hearts, diamonds, clubs, and spades. The full or whist pack contains fifty-two cards.
 To have the cards in one's own hands, to have the winning cards; to have the means of success in an undertaking.
 To play one's cards well, to make no errors; to act shrewdly.
 To play snow one's cards, to expose one's plants to rivals or foes.
 To speak by the card, to speak from information and definitely, not by guess as in telling a ship's bearing by the compass card.
 Visiting card, a small card bearing the name, and sometimes the address, of the person presenting it.

 card table
      n 1: a table for playing cards (as in a casino)
      2: a small light table with folding legs; can be folded for
         storage