Definition: a type of case furniture, a standing set of open, tiered shelves with slender supports that often rest on a base of drawers or doors and are mirrored in back; developed in France ("étagère" is French for "shelf") around the turn of the 19th century, it became popular in the 1850s as a means of displaying artifacts, books, photos and other bric-a-brac; often ornately carved and made of expensive materials, it's a prime example of Victorian conspicuous consumption - a decorative piece designed to display ornamental objects
Pronunciation: ay-tah-jare
Also Known As: whatnot
Example: With its three tiers of shelves, the étagère could hold a dozen objects - and seemed to be holding twice as many, given the reflection of its numerous mirrors.