Sofa

A sofa is a long, upholstered seat with a back and arms that is made for two or more people. The word sofa derives from the Arabic suffa, and it was first commonly used in France and England at the end of the 17th century. While today “sofa” is used interchangeably with “couch,” they have historically meant different things. Sofas were specifically for sitting on—a less upholstered version is a settee—while couches were characteristically for reclining, akin to contemporary daybeds. Since the 19th century and particularly the introduction of the coiled spring, sofas have become available in a variety of forms, such as the Chesterfield, the loveseat, the club sofa, the Tuxedo sofa, or the Lawson-style sofa.