nightstand, one-night stand

one-night stand (SEX) Show phonetics
noun [C]
a sexual relationship which lasts for only one night, or a person who you have had this type of relationship with
一夜情


nightstand Show phonetics
noun [C] (ALSO night table)
US FOR bedside table

A nightstand (in American English) or a bedside table (in British English) is a small table or cabinet designed to stand beside a bed or elsewhere in a bedroom, as a place to put anything likely to be required during the night.

Before indoor flushing toilets became commonplace, the main function of a nightstand was to contain a chamber pot. As a result, early nightstands often were small cabinets, sometimes fitted with a drawer, and usually containing an enclosed storage space below covered by one or more doors. Another term sometimes given to such cabinets was commode.

Modern nightstands are usually small bedside tables, often with a drawer. They are often used to support a lamp, alarm clock, reading matter, a glass of water, medication, or other useful items that might be required during the night.

See also

• Bedside table
• Commode