banquette

noun

ban·​quette baŋ-ˈket 

ban-,

 sense 1b is also  ˈbaŋ-kət

1

a

: a raised way along the inside of a parapet or trench for gunners or guns

b

Southern US : sidewalk

2

a

: a long upholstered bench

b

: a sofa having one roll-over arm

c

: a built-in usually upholstered bench along a wall

Examples of banquette in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

That space flows to a dining area with banquette seating and a galley-style kitchen, which rests beneath a large skylight and has been upgraded with newer stainless appliances. —Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 16 Jan. 2025

The sofas and banquettes are intentionally placed in front of the windows for optimal waterfall viewing. —Karla Pope, Travel + Leisure, 11 Jan. 2025

Expect to see vintage-style park benches, old school lamp posts, black leather banquettes and romantic florals throughout the venue, not to mention burlesque performances. —Nadja Sayej, Forbes, 31 Dec. 2024

The couple, who entertains often, eschewed a formal dining room for an inviting banquette. —Stacie Stukin, Architectural Digest, 30 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

French, from Middle French, from Old Occitan banqueta, diminutive of banc bench, of Germanic origin; akin to Old English benc bench

First Known Use

1629, in the meaning defined at sense 1a