NYT Dictionary
SOFA
/ˈsoʊ̯fə/NounVerbSO-faso-fa · 2 syllablesGrade 3
Accepted in official NYT Spelling Bee puzzle years: 2025
Meaning
A raised area of a building's floor, usually covered with carpeting, used for sitting.
Etymology
Origin: French
Borrowed from French sofa, ultimately from Arabic صُفَّة (ṣuffa, “a long seat made of stone or brick, covered with rich carpets and cushions and used for sitting”). Cognate with Aramaic צפא/Classical Syriac ܨܦܬܐ (ṣipā’, ṣeppəṯā, “mat, matting”). The word may have entered European languages via Muslim Iberia or through Turkish.
Synonyms & Antonyms
NYT Puzzle Appearances
Accepted in 1 recorded puzzle: