Small mats or discs placed under glasses or cups to protect furniture surfaces from moisture and heat. Can also refer to ships that travel along coastlines.
From the verb 'coast' meaning to travel along a shore, originally from Latin 'costa' meaning 'rib' or 'side.' The furniture protection meaning evolved from the nautical term, as these items 'coast' under drinks.
The earliest drink coasters were actually small wheeled platforms called 'wine coasters' that rolled decanters around dinner tables in the 18th century. Modern absorbent coasters didn't appear until the 20th century with the invention of cardboard and cork materials.
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