desktop

American  

[desk-top] / ˈdɛskˌtɒp /

adjective

1. small or compact enough to fit or be used on a desk.

   a desktop calendar.

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noun

• desktops
  plural

1. the surface of a desk.

2. Computers.

   1. Also called desktop computer.  a computer that is not portable, often consisting of a CPU, monitor, keyboard, and mouse.

   2. the primary display screen of a graphical user interface, on which various icons represent files, groups of files, programs, or the like, which can be moved, accessed, added to, put away, or thrown away in ways analogous to the handling of file folders, documents, notes, etc., on a real desk.

desktop British  

/ ˈdɛskˌtɒp /

noun

1. the main screen display on a personal computer, from which windows may be opened and programs run

2. (modifier) denoting a computer system, esp for word processing, that is small enough to use at a desk

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• desktops
  plural

Etymology

Origin of desktop

First recorded in 1925–30; desk + top ¹

Explanation

A desktop is the surface of a desk, the part you use for writing or resting your laptop on. Particularly tidy people might need to clean the entire desktop before getting any work done. Your literal desktop — the top or surface of your desk — inspired the name for your computer desktop, the home screen on which you organize icons representing your files. When you're using a computer, you generally start from your desktop, opening windows or clicking on a file. When desktop is used as an adjective, it typically means "meant to be kept and used on your desk," like a desktop computer or a desktop scanner.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

desktop desktops

He pointed to laptop production being slower than usual and demand for desktop computers looking “particularly weak.”

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 8, 2026

The agent is accessed through a desktop application or a mobile app, and employees can chat with it through the Cisco-owned Webex videoconferencing software.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026

Sales of the desktop computer have grown in the past year as it has proven popular among customers running AI models at home.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

The staff member involved has been reprimanded, and the obituary files have been moved off the studio desktop to prevent a repeat incident.

From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026

Video footage of the lab from a security camera started playing on the desktop.

From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste

The chip shortage is pushing people to buy cheaper laptops than desktops, which can last up to a decade, said Brousse, in Tokyo on his honeymoon.

From Barron's ● Aug. 2, 2026

Cybersecurity startup Ent has raised $100 million in seed funding to help companies gauge unusual behavior on desktops, laptops and other devices, shutting down potential data risks at lightning speed.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 16, 2026

The Nvidia chip will be released in the fall, and will power desktops from companies including Dell, HP, Lenovo and Microsoft.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 1, 2026

Once students started using desktops from prison classrooms, he pre-loaded academic articles onto thumb drives they could explore offline.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 30, 2025

These types of desktops have only recently started shipping in the States, and they’re, of course, way out of my price range.

From "Warcross" by Marie Lu