deeply upholstered seat of any shape, with or without a back, introduced into Europe in the late 18th century from Turkey, where, piled with cushions, it was the central piece of domestic seating. One of the early versions was designed as a piece of fitted furniture to go entirely around three walls of a room, and from this evolved a smaller version, designed to fit the corner of a room.

As the 19th century progressed, ottomans became circular or octagonal, either with arms radiating from the centre, which divided the seating space into sections, or with a central, padded column, which often supported a plant or statue and against which one could lean. The growth of club life stimulated the proliferation of ottomans, many of which also came to have hinged seats underneath for holding magazines and the like.

The ottoman footstool, a closely allied piece of furniture, was an upholstered footstool on four legs, which could also be used as a fireside seat. By the 20th century the word ottoman had come to encompass both forms.