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

Up until then, managers had been reliant on the restaurant’s desktop systems, already overloaded with running all the back office restaurant operations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

People in lower income brackets also are more likely to have a smartphone than a laptop or desktop computer, according to data from Pew Research Center.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026

In some displays, Siri appeared as a bubble on a desktop, indicating that it is listening and would no longer require the “Hey Siri” prompt to which users are accustomed.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 8, 2026

Nvidia already sells the DGX Spark, a desktop workstation for AI engineers that costs $4,699, but the new chip will be aimed at consumer devices, although likely at the premium end of the market.

From Barron's ● Jun. 1, 2026

I look around for something to write on and he hands me the score pad, a desktop notepad with a little smile-button face printed at the top of the page.

From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood

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

RTX Spark-powered laptops and desktops, made by the likes of Dell and Lenovo, will be available this autumn, Nvidia said.

From Barron's ● 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