why so ambiguous?

not EXACTLY sure if this is relevant, most results I get from google are about the history of periodic tables..stuff the ambiguity.
this is what I have found so far...

"A Short History of Tables - Fine Woodworking Article: "Although there are
innumerable uses for tables, they all share one thing in common: a surface,
typically flat and horizontal, that may be used for working on or eating from.
Beyond this there are probably more kinds of tables than there are types of any
other class of furniture.

Varieties of construction aside, four-legged
tables have predominated ever since ancient Egypt, although Greek and Roman
tables were often slab-sided, in the manner of altars. The other main defining
characteristic of a table is its height, and this has risen with changes in
seating; tables from ancient Rome being low enough to serve low couches, while
more recent types are made higher to accommodate chairs." "

and then it goes on about the 16th century (Tudor times) material and form... I suppose just more variables for me to think about.