davenport

[dav-uh n-pawrt, -pohrt]

See more synonyms for davenport on Thesaurus.com

noun

a large sofa, often one convertible into a bed.
Chiefly British. a small writing desk.

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]

noun

John,1597–1670, Puritan clergyman: one of the founders of New Haven.
a city in E Iowa, on the Mississippi River.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for davenport

secretary, futon, couch, chesterfield, daybed

Examples from the Web for davenport

Contemporary Examples of davenport

“You can host a sit-down diner for 140, and the house can accommodate 700 people at a party,” Davenport says proudly.
'Lord Fraud' Gets Out of Jail, Back Into Orgies
Tom Sykes
August 26, 2014
Since getting out, in May, Davenport says he has been attempting to pick up what he calls normal life.
'Lord Fraud' Gets Out of Jail, Back Into Orgies
Tom Sykes
August 26, 2014
Five minutes later, wearing a dress shirt and jeans, Davenport appears.
'Lord Fraud' Gets Out of Jail, Back Into Orgies
Tom Sykes
August 26, 2014
Why, I wonder, is Davenport so obsessed with defining himself as part of the British aristocracy?
'Lord Fraud' Gets Out of Jail, Back Into Orgies
Tom Sykes
August 26, 2014
Mrs. Davenport has been married 24 years, so this is an issue of marital privacy.
The Town Where Your Sex Toy Could Land You in Jail
Emily Shire, Lizzie Crocker
May 30, 2014

Historical Examples of davenport

Davenport, who never had a thousand dollars of his own at a time!
The Mystery of Murray Davenport
Robert Neilson Stephens
But if Davenport's hands might go unchanged, he decided that his handwriting should not.
The Mystery of Murray Davenport
Robert Neilson Stephens
As you ain't Davenport, why, of course, you ain't entitled to it.
The Mystery of Murray Davenport
Robert Neilson Stephens
"That wasn't offered me; I begged for it," said Davenport, quietly.
The Mystery of Murray Davenport
Robert Neilson Stephens
"You perceive I have the musty look of a solitary," said Davenport.
The Mystery of Murray Davenport
Robert Neilson Stephens

British Dictionary definitions for davenport

davenport

noun

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

Word Origin for davenport

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

"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).