davenport
[dav-uh n-pawrt, -pohrt]
- a large sofa, often one convertible into a bed.
- Chiefly British. a small writing desk.
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Origin of davenport
First recorded in 1850–55; the desk is said to be named after a Captain Davenport who first commissioned it
Davenport
[dav-uh n-pawrt, -pohrt]
- John,1597–1670, Puritan clergyman: one of the founders of New Haven.
- a city in E Iowa, on the Mississippi River.
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Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for davenport
Contemporary Examples
“You can host a sit-down diner for 140, and the house can accommodate 700 people at a party,” Davenport says proudly.
Since getting out, in May, Davenport says he has been attempting to pick up what he calls normal life.
Five minutes later, wearing a dress shirt and jeans, Davenport appears.
Why, I wonder, is Davenport so obsessed with defining himself as part of the British aristocracy?
Mrs. Davenport has been married 24 years, so this is an issue of marital privacy.
Historical Examples
Davenport, who never had a thousand dollars of his own at a time!
The Mystery of Murray DavenportRobert Neilson Stephens
But if Davenport's hands might go unchanged, he decided that his handwriting should not.
The Mystery of Murray DavenportRobert Neilson Stephens
As you ain't Davenport, why, of course, you ain't entitled to it.
The Mystery of Murray DavenportRobert Neilson Stephens
"That wasn't offered me; I begged for it," said Davenport, quietly.
The Mystery of Murray DavenportRobert Neilson Stephens
"You perceive I have the musty look of a solitary," said Davenport.
The Mystery of Murray DavenportRobert Neilson Stephens
davenport
- mainly British a tall narrow desk with a slanted writing surface and drawers at the side
- US and Canadian a large sofa, esp one convertible into a bed
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Word Origin
C19: sense 1 said to be named after Captain Davenport, who commissioned the first ones
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for davenport
n.
"large upholstered couch," 1897, apparently named for the manufacturer. Earlier (1853) "a kind of small ornamental writing table." The proper name is attested from 12c., from a place in Cheshire (Old English Devennport).
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper