head of table
Dinner's prime position
The head of table is the position at the end of a dining table, traditionally reserved for the host or most important person present.
At rectangular tables, this is usually one of the short ends rather than the long sides: Grandfather always sat at the head of table.
The phrase implies authority or honor—whoever sits there leads the conversation or carves the roast.
- chairmanHead of a board
- hostOne receiving guests
- seatPlace for sitting
- place settingArranged utensils for dining
- seating arrangementAssigned positions for sitting
patriarch · authority · power seat · presiding · dinner · banquet · carving · raising a glass · toast · leader · position · honor · family · gathering · formal · dining · carving knife · ceremony
- boardroomboard members, chairman, chairperson, directors, meeting
- family dinnersupper, dinner, Sunday dinner, Thanksgiving dinner, family dinner
- seating positionsmiddle seat, corner seat, center seat, seat of honor, guest of honor
- sitting customssitting posture, floor seating
- formal diningplace setting, dinner, porcelain, tablecloth, silverware
- table mannersnapkin folding, chewing quietly, proper posture, posture, using utensils