Tavola

Tavola is a feminine Italian noun with several related meanings centered on a flat surface. The primary sense is table, referring to a piece of furniture with a flat top supported by legs, used for dining, work, or other tasks. The word also designates the surface itself, as in the top of a desk or counter. In everyday usage, tavola can mean the meal setting or the dishes arranged for eating, and the common expressions “mettere a tavola” (to set the table) and “a tavola” (at the table) describe mealtimes.

Beyond furniture and meals, tavola appears in specialized contexts. In publishing and comics, tavola can mean a page or panel, for example “tavola a fumetti.” In music and instrument-making, tavola (as in tavola armonica) denotes the soundboard of a string instrument. In carpentry, it can mean a board or sheet of material. In science, the term is used for the periodic table of elements: “tavola periodica.”

Origin and etymology: tavola derives from Latin tabula, meaning board or plate, and has retained senses related to both furniture and surface. The word is common across Italian-speaking regions, with usage that reflects context, culture, and discipline.