a large sofa, often one convertible into a bed.
Chiefly British. a small writing desk.
John, 1597–1670, Puritan clergyman: one of the founders of New Haven.
a city in E Iowa, on the Mississippi River.
a tall narrow desk with a slanted writing surface and drawers at the side
a large sofa, esp one convertible into a bed
First recorded in 1850–55; the desk is said to be named after a Captain Davenport who first commissioned it
A davenport is a piece of furniture that you might lounge on in your living room — it's another name for an upholstered couch or sofa. Exactly how people describe a davenport depends on where they're from. In some parts of the U.S., a davenport is an especially fancy sofa, while in others it's one that can be converted into a bed. The name comes from a 19th century Massachusetts furniture maker, A.H. Davenport and Company. The family name Davenport goes back to a town in Cheshire, England. Earlier, the word referred to a small desk used for writing letters.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
DAVENPORT, Iowa — Part of a building collapsed in the eastern Iowa city of Davenport on Sunday evening.
From Washington Times • May 28, 2023
DAVENPORT, Iowa — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis lingered for roughly half an hour after wrapping up his speech here, sticking around for the kind of face time voters in this crucial early nominating state demand.
From Washington Post • Mar. 10, 2023
FOR DAVENPORT, a fascination with UFOs began when he was 6, growing up in St. Louis, when the family went to a drive-in movie.
From Seattle Times • Oct. 14, 2022
DAVENPORT, Iowa — The voter asked Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts the question on many Iowans’ minds: What did she have to offer besides her litany of policy proposals?
From New York Times • Jan. 8, 2020
DAVENPORT, a city and the county seat of Scott county, Iowa, U.S.A., on the Mississippi river, opposite Rock Island, Illinois, with which it is connected by two fine bridges and by a ferry.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 7, Slice 9 "Dagupan" to "David" by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
