credenza

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian credenza. Doublet of credence.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /kɹəˈdɛnzə/

Noun

credenza (plural credenzas or credenze)

1. A sideboard or buffet.
   • 1918, William M[acdougal] Odom, A History of Italian Furniture from the Fourteenth to the Early Nineteenth Centuries, Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Company, page 202:

     Two credenze dating about the middle of the century, shown in Figures 135 and 136, illustrate the stage of excessive ornamentation of furniture reached about this time.

   • 1925, Frank H. G. Keeble, “Foreword”, in Italian Renaissance Furniture, Sculptured Bas-Reliefs, Primitive Paintings, Maiolicas, Brasses, Forged Iron, Velvets and Other Textiles from the Studios of an Eminent Florentine Antiquarian (A Collection of Florentine Renaissance furniture and Objects of Art), New York, N.Y.: American Art Association, Inc.:

     The furniture consists of many fine small and large cabinets, credenze and tables, all especially alluring and of unusual types not very frequently found today; […]

   • 1960, Helena Hayward, editor, The Connoisseur’s Handbook of Antique Collecting: A Dictionary of Furniture, Silver, Ceramics, Glass, Silver, Fine Art, Etc., New York, N.Y.: Galahad Books, →ISBN, page 86, column 2:

     A recessed top story containing a cupboard was added to many credenze in the 16th cent. and this was usual in subsequent periods.

   • 1995, Richard Powers, Galatea 2.2, New York: Farrar, Straus, Giroux, →ISBN, page 19:

     It was as if Belonging lay in some ivory-inlaid credenza in the^[sic] Hague, waiting to be opened before expiration date.

2. A horizontal filing cabinet, typically placed behind a desk.
   • 2022, Ling Ma, “Yeti Lovemaking”, in Bliss Montage, New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, →ISBN:

     I wandered over to his record collection, past his mantel displaying mid-century lighters, past his closet filled with trench coats and shoehorns, past his credenza stacked with pamphlets.

Anagrams

• crazened

Italian

Etymology

From Late Latin crēdentia, from Latin crēdēns. By surface analysis, credere +‎ -enza.

Furniture sense is by similarity with small church table hosting paten, chalice and spoon during Communion.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kreˈdɛn.t͡sa/
• Rhymes: -ɛntsa
• Hyphenation: cre‧dèn‧za

Noun

credenza f (plural credenze)

1. belief, credit
2. (furniture) sideboard, cupboard, hutch, abacus (church furniture)

Related terms

• credere

Descendants

• → German: Kredenz
• → English: credenza
• → Maltese: gredenza, gradenza

See also

• madia
• dispensa

Further reading

• credenza¹ in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana
• credenza² in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana