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• davenport
  davenport

  noun

  a large sofa, often one convertible into a bed.
• Davenport
  Davenport

  noun

  John, 1597–1670, Puritan clergyman: one of the founders of New Haven.

davenport

¹ American  

[dav-uhn-pawrt, -pohrt] / ˈdæv ənˌpɔrt, -ˌpoʊrt /

noun

1. a large sofa, often one convertible into a bed.

2. Chiefly British. a small writing desk.

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Davenport ² American  

[dav-uhn-pawrt, -pohrt] / ˈdæv ənˌpɔrt, -ˌpoʊrt /

noun

1. John, 1597–1670, Puritan clergyman: one of the founders of New Haven.

2. a city in E Iowa, on the Mississippi River.

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davenport British  

/ ˈdævənˌpɔːt /

noun

1. a tall narrow desk with a slanted writing surface and drawers at the side

2. a large sofa, esp one convertible into a bed

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Etymology

Origin of davenport

First recorded in 1850–55; the desk is said to be named after a Captain Davenport who first commissioned it

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Explanation

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

davenport Davenport

She and her brothers, she wrote, had grown up in Onalaska, Wis., and she had loved that davenport.

From New York Times ● Sep. 27, 2020

One day in January, near the turnstile at the exit of the 125th Street subway station, something caught my eye: a sepia-toned photograph that showed what looked like three siblings sitting on a davenport.

From New York Times ● Sep. 27, 2020

We’d sit on the davenport, helping Grandmom make dinner.

From MSNBC ● Oct. 9, 2015

For an hour and a half they sat together on a davenport in the study, smoking and talking.

From Time Magazine Archive

But on the afternoon of the sixth of August, she reads the following lines to Etienne on the davenport in his study: Was it true that Captain Nemo never left the Nautilus?

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr

One of those voters is Lynn Davenport, 55, who described herself as a “staunch conservative” in a new campaign ad for Hinojosa that began airing over the weekend across the state.

From Salon ● Oct. 1, 2026

“We’re calling on the Supreme Court to resolve this issue and recognize that Congress did not silently make the sports-betting industry immune from state law,” Davenport said in a statement.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 3, 2026

Ben Jones, the actor who played Cooter Davenport on “The Dukes of Hazzard” then represented Georgia for two terms in Congress, has died at age 84.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026

New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport said on Wednesday that the state would continue to follow state and federal laws to protect the privacy and personal information of voters.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026

Davenport was a Philistine, not worth mentioning, but the Italian was somber and polite, quite charming.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

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