Added 10 October 2026
console
/ˈkɒn.səʊl/ noun
In Latin: consōlor, alloquor Wiktionary
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about console at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- A small table fixed to a wall or designed to stand against a wall.
- A scientific instrument consisting of displays and an input device that an operator can use to monitor and control a system (especially a computer system).
-
An ornamental scroll-shaped bracket (especially one used to support a wall fixture).
the bust of Napoleon stood on a console
verb
Origin
Borrowed from French console (“bracket”, noun), from consoler (“to console, to comfort”, verb). Sense of “bracket” either due to a bracket alleviating the load, or due to brackets being decorated with the Christian figure of a consolateur (“consoler”), itself perhaps a pun on the first sense (alleviating load). Originally used for the bracket itself, then for wall-mounted tables (mounted with a bracket), then for free-standing tables placed against a wall.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)