console Meaning & Definition
What Does Console Mean?
Console is used as a noun meaning an architectural member projecting from a wall to form a bracket or from a keystone for ornament. It is also used to mean console table. As a verb, it means to alleviate the grief, sense of loss, or trouble of.
Quick Facts About Console
| Part of speech | noun, verb |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈkän-ˌsōl/ |
| Syllables | 2 |
| Synonyms | solace, comfort and soothe |
| Antonyms | distress, torment and torture |
| Plural | consoles |
| Verb forms | consoles, consoling, consoled |
Console Definition (Noun)
- an architectural member projecting from a wall to form a bracket or from a keystone for ornament
- console table
- an upright case that houses the keyboards and controlling mechanisms of an organ and from which the organ is played
- a combination of readouts or displays and an input device (such as a keyboard or switches) by which an operator can monitor and interact with a system (such as a computer or dubber)
- a cabinet (as for a radio or television set) designed to rest directly on the floor
- a small storage cabinet between bucket seats in an automobile
- an electronic system that connects to a display (such as a television set) and is used primarily to play video games
Console as a Verb
- to alleviate the grief, sense of loss, or trouble of : comfort
console a widow / I consoled myself with the thought that things could be much worse.
Synonyms of Console
Antonyms of Console
Console in a Sentence
The film's music blared from the console.
Consoles continue to gain traction in the video game market.
Could you put my phone in the centre console?
console a widow
I consoled myself with the thought that things could be much worse.
a custom-built walnut console holds all of their home-theater components
the military officer who must console the bereaved at a soldier's funeral
console a widow / I consoled myself with the thought that things could be much worse.
Word Forms & Grammar
console
consoles
con·soled
con·sol·ing
con·sol·er noun
con·sol·ing·ly adverb
consoled
consoler
consolers
consoling
consolingly
console (plural consoles)
console (third-person singular simple present consoles, present participle consoling, simple past and past participle consoled)
Words That Rhyme With Console
Origin of Console
Origin 1: French
Origin 2: French consoler, from Latin consolari, from com- + solari to console
Origin 3: Borrowed from French console (“bracket”, noun), from consoler (“to console, to comfort”, verb).
Origin 4: Sense of “bracket” either due to a bracket alleviating the load, or due to brackets being decorated with the Christian figure of a consolateur (“consoler”),[1] itself perhaps a pun on the first sense (alleviating load).
Origin 5: Originally used for the bracket itself, then for wall-mounted tables (mounted with a bracket), then for free-standing tables placed against a wall. Use for control system dates at least to 1880s for an “organ console”; use for electrical or electronic control systems dates at least to 1930s in radio, television, and system control, particularly as “mixer console” or “control console”, attached to an equipment rack. This was popularized in computers by mainframes such as the IBM 704 (1954) in terms such as “operator’s console” or “console typewriter”, and then generalized to any attached equipment, particularly for user interaction. The automotive sense harks back to earlier use as “support”.
Origin 6: Borrowed from French consoler, from Latin cōnsōlor (“to console, offer solace”), root from Proto-Indo-European *selh₂- (“mercy, comfort”) (whence also solace).
First Known Use
1664
1673
Console Pronunciation
Console is pronounced /ˈkän-ˌsōl/ and has 2 syllables, with the main stress on the first syllable (kän).
Questions People Ask About Console
Is console a noun or a verb?
Console is mainly used as a noun, but it can also be used as a verb.
What is another word for console?
Words with a similar meaning to console include solace, comfort and soothe. See the full list of console synonyms and antonyms.
What is the plural of console?
The plural of console is consoles.
What is the past tense of console?
The past tense of console is consoled. The present participle is consoling.