A chaise longue is an upholstered sofa

Couch

A couch, also called a sofa, is an item of furniture designed to seat more than one person, and providing support for the back and arms. Typically, it will have an armrest on either side. In homes couches are normally found in the family room, living room, den or the lounge...

 in the shape of a chair

Chair

A chair is a stable, raised surface used to sit on, commonly for use by one person. Chairs are most often supported by four legs and have a back; however, a chair can have three legs or could have a different shape depending on the criteria of the chair specifications. A chair without a back or...

 that is long enough to support the legs.

It is sometimes erroneously written as "chaise lounge", which has persisted so strongly in the United States that it is no longer considered incorrect there, and can even be found in its dictionaries (an example of folk etymology). In modern French the term chaise longue can refer to any long reclining chair such as a deckchair

Deckchair

A deckchair is a folding chair, usually with a frame of treated wood or artificial material and a fabric or vinyl backrest and seat. It may have an extended seat, meant to be used as a leg rest, whose height may be adjustable...

.

• Duchesse brisée (Broken duchess in French) : this word is used, when the chaise longue is divided in two parts : the chair and a long footstool. Or two chairs with a stool in between them . The origin of the name is unknown.

• Récamier : a récamier has two raised ends, and nothing on the long sides. It is sometimes associated with French Empire (neo-classical) style. It’s named after French society hostess Madame Récamier (1777-1849), who posed elegantly on a couch of this kind. She had her portrait painted in 1800. The shape of the récamier is similar to a traditional lit bateau (boat bed) but made for the drawing room, not the bedroom .

• Méridienne : a méridienne has a high head-rest, and a lower foot-rest, joined by a a sloping piece. Whether or not they have anything at the foot end, méridiennes are asymmetrical day-beds. They were popular in the grand houses of France in the early 19th century. Its name is from its typical use —rest in the middle of the day, when the sun is near the meridian .

External links

• http://antiques.about.com/od/antiquechairstyles/a/ChaiseLongue072810.htm