Cabinet - A glass fronted cabinet intended for the display of objects and art.

Cabriole - A bowed leg that curves to a tapered foot.

Camel Back - A sofa characterized by a large central hump used by Hepplewhite and Chippendale, usually found in more traditional sofas.

Cane - Split Rattan, often used to cover chair seats.

Canterbury - A small portable magazine rack.

Case Good(s) - Any piece of furniture that is used to house (or Case) household goods and is not an upholstered piece.

Cedar Chest - A rectangular storage chest made of sold cedar or cedar veneers to prevent moth damage on woolens. A bride's hope chest in the 20th century.

Chaise Lounge - The French term is "long chair." Also has been referred to as a "fainting couch." An elongated chair for stretching out (like having an ottoman attached to a chair). Often used in bedrooms.

Channeling - a grooved or furrowed effect.

Chenille - A textured fabric featuring an evenly cut plush pile of softly woven loops.

Chesser - Combination of a dresser and a chest; narrower than a dresser and shorter than chest that can normally utilize a tilt or small mirror.

Chest - A tall, narrow piece featuring a series of drawers for clothing storage.

Chesterfield - A smaller type of sofa with the low arms and back at the same level.

Chest-on-Chest - Tall, narrow piece of furniture featuring an upper level of drawers stacked on top of a lower level of wider drawers.

Chiffonier - A tall very narrow chest of drawers (Lingerie Chest).

China Cabinet - A cabinet that has a glass front and typically sits on a buffet or shallow cupboard.

Chintz - A printed cotton fabric with a glazed, high sheen.

Chippendale - Wooden furniture featuring fretwork designed by Thomas Chippendale in 1754 with Oriental or Gothic flair.

Claw and Ball - Foot of carved animal or bird claw clutching a ball, generally terminating a cabriole leg.

Club Foot - A turned foot resembling a club usually found at the bottom of a Cabriole leg.

Coffee Table - Long, low table used in front of a sofa.

Colonial - Early American furniture design many times featuring wings and exposed wood on upholstered pieces.

Commode - A chest with drawers.

Cornice - The top or finishing molding of a column or piece of furniture.

Cottage Furniture - A type of casual furniture that is characterized by painted and/or decorated pieces, turned legs and simple forms.

Couch - A 17th and 18th century term for a daybed. Not used as a term for a sofa until recent times.

Credenza - A sideboard or buffet with drawers or doors.

Crest Rail/Top Rail - The top horizontal rail of an upholstered piece; can be very detailed.

Curio - Case piece featuring glassed in shelves and doors for displaying collectibles.

Damask - A fabric featuring woven characters against a flat background in the same color.

Dentil Molding - Decorative molding found in more traditional designs consisting of blocks and spaces resembling teeth.

Dhurrie Rug - Flat woven wool or cotton rug featuring beautiful designs.

Dining Room - A formal room dedicated to the serving of meals.

Dinette - More casual dining pieces, many times used for the Kitchen.

Down - Feathers from ducks or geese used in furniture as fill for upholstery cushions or mattresses.

Distressed - A furniture detail where wood pieces are purposely dented, scuffed or otherwise marked to render an antique or rustic appearance.

Dovetail - A type of joinery, usually found in drawers, where two perpendicular pieces of wood are carved in a way that the "fingers" are interlocked for added structural support.

Dowel - A type of joinery where round wooden pegs are inserted into flat pieces (used in the construction of furniture).

Dowry Chest - Made to store the trousseau of a prospective bride. An American example is the Lane Company cedar chest.

Dresser - A species of a sideboard. A case piece that is usually long and low enough to utilize a mirror featuring a multitude of drawers for clothing storage.

Drop Leaf - A table with its leaves hinged to raise or lower as needed.

Dumb Waiter - A dining room stand with normally three circular trays increasing in size toward the bottom. Also, a pulley type elevator that brought food up from the basement kitchen to the first floor dining room.