desk

American  

[desk] / dɛsk /

noun

• desks
  plural

1. an article of furniture having a broad, usually level, writing surface, as well as drawers or compartments for papers, writing materials, etc.

2. a frame for supporting a book from which the service is read in a church.

3. a pulpit.

4. the section of a large organization, as a governmental bureau or newspaper, having authority over and responsibility for particular operations within the organization.

   city desk; foreign desk.

5. a table or counter, as in a library or office, at which a specific job is performed or a service offered.

   an information desk; reception desk.

6. a stand used to support sheet music; music stand.

7. (in an orchestra) a seat or position assigned by rank (usually used in combination).

   a first-desk flutist.

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adjective

1. of or relating to a writing desk.

   a desk drawer.

2. of a size or form suitable for use on a desk.

   desk dictionary.

3. done at or based on a desk, as in an office or schoolroom.

   He used to be a traveling salesman, but now he has a desk job.

desk British  

/ dɛsk /

noun

1. a piece of furniture with a writing surface and usually drawers or other compartments

2. a service counter or table in a public building, such as a hotel

   information desk

3. a support, lectern, or book rest for the book from which services are read in a church

4. the editorial section of a newspaper, etc, responsible for a particular subject

   the news desk

5. 1. a music stand shared by two orchestral players

   2. these two players

6. (modifier)

   1. made for use at a desk

      a desk calendar

   2. done at a desk

      a desk job

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• desks
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of desk

1350–1400; Middle English deske < Medieval Latin desca, descus desk, lectern, probably < a Romance-influenced form of Latin discus discus; cf. dais, dish, Medieval Latin discus refectory table

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Explanation

The flat-surfaced piece of furniture at which you sit and work, write, or use your computer is called a desk. Some offices have a desk for each employee. Students often sit at classroom desks arranged in rows, and you'll also find desks in libraries, offices, and homes. Your college roommate might prefer to study while lying in bed, while you like working at your desk. Someone who has a "desk job" works in an office. Desk comes from the Medieval Latin desca, "table to write on," which has a Greek root, diskos, "platter or disk."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

desk desks

“From sunup, to sundown, these children, whether they’re in a high chair or old enough to sit at a desk, sat in what can only be described as makeshift classrooms,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026

Fillol pays 350 euros a month for a room barely big enough for a bed and a computer desk, allowing her to save towards a deposit on her own home.

From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026

Later, Jost returned to the Weekend Update desk, opening with what he called a “tragic developing story” involving Trump.

From Salon ● Oct. 11, 2026

Basic black boxes became a desk, a sofa, or a hospital bed, with additional touches like Macaria’s ofrenda for her dead husband.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026

He kicked his way out of the desk and sprang through the front door on his storky legs.

From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck

From their desks, brokers are profiting as buyers of jet fuel, diesel and gasoline mitigate wild swings in prices with derivatives.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026

It was there I encountered the stories about government workers being ordered back to their desks by the Giuliani administration in the hot zone.

From Salon ● Sep. 11, 2026

Dozens of “staff members” fill rows of desks in the bullpen — some clack away on keyboards, others have phone receivers sandwiched between their head and shoulders while taking notes.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026

Dust and debris covered chairs and desks in the regional ministry offices.

From Barron's ● Sep. 6, 2026

Here the Wall Street bond trading desks exploited another blind spot in the rating agencies’ models.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

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