Stool vs. Buffet — What's the Difference?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Fiza Rafique — Updated on October 24, 2023
A stool is a seat without arms or a backrest, while a buffet is either a meal where guests serve themselves or a piece of furniture for storing dishes.
Difference Between Stool and Buffet
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
A stool is a simple piece of furniture, typically characterized by its lack of arms and a backrest. In contrast, a buffet can refer to two things: a type of meal or a furniture piece.
When discussing furniture, a stool is typically smaller and more versatile than chairs, often used in bars or kitchens. A buffet, on the other hand, is a sideboard or a cabinet used to store dishes, silverware, and sometimes food.
In dining settings, a buffet denotes a system of serving meals where guests serve themselves from a variety of dishes displayed on a table or sideboard. A stool, however, is unrelated to this context and remains strictly a seating option.
Interestingly, while stools have been in existence for centuries, serving as the primary seating option in many cultures, buffets as a form of meal became popular much later, offering a casual dining approach.
Design-wise, stools can range from basic wooden designs to more modern and decorative ones. In contrast, a buffet piece of furniture often becomes a focal point in a dining room due to its size and the decorative potential it carries.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
A seat without arms or backrest
Either a self-serve meal or furniture for storing dishes
Primary Use
Seating
Dining or storage
Size
Typically small
Larger, often elaborate
Material
Wood, metal, fabric, etc.
Wood, glass, metal, etc.
Context of Use
Bars, kitchens, workshops
Dining rooms, restaurants
Compare with Definitions
Stool
A seat without a back or arms.
He sat on a wooden stool by the bar.
Buffet
A piece of furniture for storing dishes and utensils.
The antique buffet has been in the family for generations.
Stool
A support or stand for items to rest on.
She placed the plant on a decorative stool.
Buffet
A blow or impact, especially of wind or waves.
The ship was battered by the buffet of the stormy sea.
Stool
A short, stubby support or post.
The broken leg was replaced with a makeshift stool.
Buffet
A buffet can be either a sideboard (a flat-topped piece of furniture with cupboards and drawers, used for storing crockery, glasses, and table linen) or a system of serving meals in which food is placed in a public area where the diners serve themselves. A form of service à la française, buffets are offered at various places including hotels, restaurants, and many social events.
Stool
A backless and armless single seat supported on legs or a pedestal.
Buffet
A large sideboard with drawers and cupboards.
Stool
A low bench or support for the feet or knees in sitting or kneeling, as a footrest.
Buffet
A counter or table from which meals or refreshments are served.
Stool
A toilet seat; a commode.
Buffet
A restaurant having such a counter.
Stool
Evacuated fecal matter.
Buffet
A meal at which guests serve themselves from various dishes displayed on a table or sideboard.
Stool
A stump or rootstock that produces shoots or suckers.
Buffet
A blow or cuff with or as if with the hand.
Stool
A shoot or growth from such a stump or rootstock.
Buffet
Informally served
A buffet luncheon.
Stool
(Botany) To send up shoots or suckers.
Buffet
To hit or beat, especially repeatedly.
Stool
To evacuate the bowels; defecate.
Buffet
To strike against forcefully and especially repeatedly; batter
Winds that buffeted the tent.
Stool
(Slang) To act as a stool pigeon.
Buffet
To cause repeated difficulty or harm to (a person or group)
Was buffeted about from job to job by the vagaries of the economy.
Stool
A seat, especially for one person and without armrests.
Buffet
To force (one's way) with difficulty.
Stool
A seat for one person without a back or armrests.
Buffet
To force one's way with difficulty
A ship buffeting against the wind.
Stool
A footstool.
Buffet
A counter or sideboard from which food and drinks are served or may be bought.
Stool
A seat with a back; a chair.
Buffet
Food laid out in this way, to which diners serve themselves.
We'll be serving supper buffet style.
Stool
A throne.
Buffet
A small low stool; a hassock.
Stool
(obsolete) A close-stool; a seat used for urination and defecation: a chamber pot, commode, outhouse seat, or toilet.
Buffet
(countable) A blow or cuff with or as if with the hand, or by any other solid object or the wind.
Stool
(horticulture) A plant that has been cut down until its main stem is close to the ground, resembling a stool, to promote new growth.
Buffet
The vibration of an aircraft when flying in or approaching a stall, caused by separation of airflow from the aircraft's wings.
Stool
Feces, excrement.
I provided the doctor with stool samples.
Buffet
(transitive) To strike with a buffet; to cuff; to slap.
Stool
A production of feces or excrement, an act of defecation, stooling.
Buffet
To aggressively challenge, denounce, or criticise.
Stool
(archaic) A decoy; a portable piece of wood to which a pigeon is fastened to lure wild birds.
Buffet
To affect as with blows; to strike repeatedly; to strive with or contend against.
To buffet the billows
Stool
(nautical) A small channel on the side of a vessel, for the deadeyes of the backstays.
Buffet
To deaden the sound of (bells) by muffling the clapper.
Stool
Material, such as oyster shells, spread on the sea bottom for oyster spat to adhere to.
Buffet
A cupboard or set of shelves, either movable or fixed at one side of a room, for the display of plate, china, etc., a sideboard.
Not when a gilt buffet's reflected prideTurns you from sound philosophy aside.
Stool
A plant from which layers are propagated by bending its branches into the soil.
Buffet
A counter for food or refreshments.
Stool
To produce stool: to defecate.
Buffet
A restaurant containing such a counter, as at a railroad station, or place of public gathering.
Stool
(horticulture) To cut down (a plant) until its main stem is close to the ground, resembling a stool, to promote new growth.
Buffet
A meal set out on a buffet[2], arranged so that guests may serve themselves and choose those items that they desire; as, a buffet dinner. Diners usually take a plate provided and move in a line past the items on the buffet[2], placing those items they desire on the plate, to be eaten at some convenient place.
Stool
(agriculture) To ramify; to tiller, as grain; to shoot out suckers.
Buffet
A blow with the hand; a slap on the face; a cuff.
When on his cheek a buffet fell.
Stool
A plant from which layers are propagated by bending its branches into the soil.
Buffet
A blow from any source, or that which affects like a blow, as the violence of winds or waves; a stroke; an adverse action; an affliction; a trial; adversity.
Those planks of tough and hardy oak that used for yeas to brave the buffets of the Bay of Biscay.
Fortune's buffets and rewards.
Stool
A single seat with three or four legs and without a back, made in various forms for various uses.
Buffet
A small stool; a stool for a buffet or counter.
Go fetch us a light buffet.
Stool
A seat used in evacuating the bowels; hence, an evacuation; a discharge from the bowels.
Buffet
To strike with the hand or fist; to box; to beat; to cuff; to slap.
They spit in his face and buffeted him.
Stool
A stool pigeon, or decoy bird.
Buffet
To affect as with blows; to strike repeatedly; to strive with or contend against; as, to buffet the billows.
The sudden hurricane in thunder roars,Buffets the bark, and whirls it from the shores.
You are lucky fellows who can live in a dreamland of your own, instead of being buffeted about the world.
Stool
A small channel on the side of a vessel, for the dead-eyes of the backstays.
Buffet
To deaden the sound of (bells) by muffling the clapper.
Stool
A bishop's seat or see; a bishop-stool.
Buffet
To exercise or play at boxing; to strike; to smite; to strive; to contend.
If I might buffet for my love, or bound my horse for her favors, I could lay on like a butcher.
Stool
A bench or form for resting the feet or the knees; a footstool; as, a kneeling stool.
Buffet
To make one's way by blows or struggling.
Strove to buffet to land in vain.
Stool
Material, such as oyster shells, spread on the sea bottom for oyster spat to adhere to.
Buffet
A piece of furniture that stands at the side of a dining room; has shelves and drawers
Stool
To ramfy; to tiller, as grain; to shoot out suckers.
Buffet
A meal set out on a buffet at which guests help themselves
Stool
A simple seat without a back or arms
Buffet
Usually inexpensive bar
Stool
Solid excretory product evacuated from the bowels
Buffet
Strike against forcefully;
Winds buffeted the tent
Stool
(forestry) the stump of a tree that has been felled or headed for the production of saplings
Buffet
Strike, beat repeatedly;
The wind buffeted him
Stool
A plumbing fixture for defecation and urination
Buffet
A meal where guests serve themselves from displayed dishes.
The hotel offers a breakfast buffet every morning.
Stool
Lure with a stool, as of wild fowl
Buffet
To knock about or strike repeatedly.
The winds continued to buffet the old house.
Stool
React to a decoy, of wildfowl
Buffet
A social gathering with food spread out for self-service.
The community buffet was a hit among the residents.
Stool
Grow shoots in the form of stools or tillers
Stool
Have a bowel movement;
The dog had made in the flower beds
Stool
A simple seat used in casual settings.
The artist perched on a stool while sketching.
Stool
A movable seat often used in crowded spaces.
We pulled up a stool to join the conversation.
Common Curiosities
What's the difference between a buffet and a sideboard?
Both terms can refer to the same piece of furniture, but "buffet" can also mean a self-serve meal.
Is a stool always short in height?
No, stools vary in height; for example, bar stools are often tall.
Is a stool considered a type of chair?
Yes, a stool is a type of chair, but without arms or a backrest.
Can a buffet be a formal event?
Yes, buffets can range from casual to very formal events.
Can stools have cushioned seats?
Yes, many stools have cushioned seats for added comfort.
Do stools only come in round shapes?
No, stools can come in various shapes, including square and rectangular.
Is a buffet always self-service?
Typically, yes, but some buffets may have servers for certain dishes.
What cuisines often offer buffet dining?
Many cuisines offer buffet dining, from American to Indian to Chinese.
Are stools strictly made of wood?
No, stools can be made of various materials, including metal and plastic.
How can I tell a buffet furniture piece from a regular cabinet?
A buffet often has specific compartments for dishes, silverware, and sometimes wine.
Can a buffet be outdoors?
Yes, many events feature outdoor buffets, especially in good weather.
Can a stool be used as a table?
Some larger or sturdy stools can double as a makeshift table in casual settings.
Is a stool always portable?
While stools are generally lightweight and portable, some larger designs might be less so.
How do I maintain a wooden buffet piece?
Regular dusting, avoiding moisture, and occasional polishing will maintain a wooden buffet.
Can stools have adjustable heights?
Yes, some modern stools come with adjustable height mechanisms.
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Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
