kiosk

American  

[kee-osk, kee-osk] / ˈki ɒsk, kiˈɒsk /

noun

1. a small structure having one or more sides open, used as a newsstand, refreshment stand, bandstand, etc.

2. a thick, columnlike structure on which notices, advertisements, etc., are posted.

3. an interactive computer terminal available for public use, as one with internet access or site-specific information.

   Students use kiosks to look up campus events.

4. an open pavilion or summerhouse common in Turkey and Iran.

5. British. a telephone booth.

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kiosk British  

/ ˈkiːɒsk /

noun

1. a small sometimes movable booth from which cigarettes, newspapers, light refreshments, etc, are sold

2. a telephone box

3. a thick post on which advertisements are posted

4. (in Turkey, Iran, etc, esp formerly) a light open-sided pavilion

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Etymology

Origin of kiosk

First recorded in 1615–25; from French kiosque “stand in a public park,” ultimately from Turkish köşk “villa,” from Persian kūshk “palace, villa”

Explanation

A kiosk is a small booth or stall. Shopping malls and airports have retail kiosks that sell all sorts of things, ranging from cookies to cell phones to sunglasses to perfumes to newspapers to . . . well, really almost anything! You're probably familiar with retail kiosks, since they always seem to be located in highly visible areas of the mall, but there are other types of kiosks as well. Information kiosks provide helpful items to tourists, such as maps and pamphlets. You might also see electronic kiosks where you can buy tickets or get various types of information through videos or interactive presentations.

Example Sentences

Last year Russia imported more than 3.3 million motors from the Chinese company Shenzhen Kiosk Electronic Co, which likely sources them from other Chinese manufacturers, the report finds.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 29, 2025

Kiosk users can take a short voluntary anonymous survey that will collect basic demographic information, however, completing the survey is not required to access the products.

From Los Angeles Times • May 9, 2025

The original dinner in Melbourne still meets once a month at Cam’s Kiosk, a beloved neighborhood go-to for wine and a two-course dinner.

From Salon • Apr. 8, 2025

Since BT introduced its Adopt a Kiosk programme in 2008, more than 470 phone boxes have been taken on by communities across Yorkshire and the Humber for £1 each.

From BBC • Aug. 18, 2023

"I doubt very much," he said, "whether Downing Street realizes the enormous power which the Quai d'Orsay has over the Yildiz Kiosk."

From Frenzied Fiction by Leacock, Stephen

Related Words

• booth
• newsstand
• stall