A nightstand is a small, low table that stands beside a bed. You put a lamp, a book, a glass of water, a phone on it — the things you want within reach when you lie down. This is the usual American word. In British English people more often say bedside table; some Americans also say night table. Though actually it is not only used at night: it stays there all day. The name comes from night as the usual time a person is in bed, plus stand, a piece of furniture that holds things up. It is not a market stall, and it is not a nightstick (a police weapon). Neutral, everyday home vocabulary.