desk

[ desk ]

/ dɛsk /

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See synonyms for: desk / desker / deskest on Thesaurus.com

noun

an article of furniture having a broad, usually level, writing surface, as well as drawers or compartments for papers, writing materials, etc.

a frame for supporting a book from which the service is read in a church.

a pulpit.

the section of a large organization, as a governmental bureau or newspaper, having authority over and responsibility for particular operations within the organization: city desk; foreign desk.

a table or counter, as in a library or office, at which a specific job is performed or a service offered: an information desk; reception desk.

a stand used to support sheet music; music stand.

(in an orchestra) a seat or position assigned by rank (usually used in combination): a first-desk flutist.

adjective

of or relating to a writing desk: a desk drawer.

of a size or form suitable for use on a desk: desk dictionary.

done at or based on a desk, as in an office or schoolroom: He used to be a traveling salesman, but now he has a desk job.

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Origin of desk

1350–1400; Middle English deske<Medieval Latin desca, descus desk, lectern, probably < a Romance-influenced form of Latin discusdiscus; cf. dais, dish, Medieval Latin discus refectory table

Words nearby desk

Desire Under the Elms, desirous, desist, desistance, Desitin, desk, deskbound, desk calendar, desk clerk, desk copier, deskfast

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use desk in a sentence

It can be easily rolled under a desk and kept out of the way, and rolled out when needed.
Great filing cabinets for your home office|PopSci Commerce Team|September 17, 2020|Popular-Science
He sat at a desk and listened to his briefers, which included some boldface names from the Obama administration.
Biden questions whether a vaccine approved by Trump would be safe|Sean Sullivan|September 16, 2020|Washington Post
In 2011, Slootman was recruited to run ServiceNow, at the time a small software developer focused on the help desk market.
Meet Snowflake, one of the buzziest tech IPOs ever|Aaron Pressman|September 15, 2020|Fortune
“On the retail front, it’s been very different than the past few years,” says Karen Chang who heads an options trading desk at Bank of America.
‘Going to Vegas:’ Newbie options traders face a reckoning as the tech stock rally fades|Jeff|September 14, 2020|Fortune

Pair these five-inch shorts with the Athena crop top for a set of basics that will take you from home desk to trail to swimming hole and back again without losing a beat.
Why I Live in Bike Shorts|Aleta Burchyski|September 13, 2020|Outside Online
I was sick in street gutters, onto my desk, at dinners with friends.
I Tried to Warn You About Sleazy Billionaire Jeffrey Epstein in 2003|Vicky Ward|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
But Scott, in taking the parlance of the street to the SportsCenter desk, helped affirm its ascendance.
Remembering ESPN’s Sly, Cocky, and Cool Anchor Stuart Scott|Stereo Williams|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
President Harry Truman kept a sign on his desk that read: “The Buck Stops Here.”
The ‘No Child’ Rewrite Threatens Your Kids’ Future|Jonah Edelman|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
While the desk sergeant ran a background check, he was roughed up by another officer in the lock-up.
What Would Happen if I Got in White Cop’s Face?|Goldie Taylor|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She suggested that Gregory stack newspapers on his desk to give the set an intimate, coffeehouse feel.
David Gregory's 'Meet the Press' Eviction Exposed in Washingtonian Takedown|Lloyd Grove|December 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
At his desk sat his secretary, who had been a witness of the interview, lost in wonder almost as great as the Seneschal's own.
St. Martin's Summer|Rafael Sabatini
Taking his stand at the end of the desk, he made MacRae reiterate in detail the grim happenings of that night.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair
Dobson, mouth agape, struck a little bell on the desk and the orderly stepped in from the outer room.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair
When I again turned to Lessard he still stood at the end of the desk, industriously paring his fingernails.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair
He took his accustomed seat at the desk, and placed a large ledger before him.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various

British Dictionary definitions for desk

desk

/ (dɛsk) /

noun

a piece of furniture with a writing surface and usually drawers or other compartments

a service counter or table in a public building, such as a hotelinformation desk

a support, lectern, or book rest for the book from which services are read in a church

the editorial section of a newspaper, etc, responsible for a particular subjectthe news desk

a music stand shared by two orchestral players
these two players

(modifier)

made for use at a deska desk calendar
done at a deska desk job

Word Origin for desk

C14: from Medieval Latin desca table, from Latin discus disc, dish

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

desk

Origin of desk

Words nearby desk

Words related to desk

How to use desk in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for desk

Word Origin for desk