desktop

American  

[desk-top] / ˈdɛskˌtɒp /

adjective

1. small or compact enough to fit or be used on a desk.

   a desktop calendar.

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noun

desktops plural

1. the surface of a desk.

2. Computers.

   1. Also called desktop computer.  a computer that is not portable, often consisting of a CPU, monitor, keyboard, and mouse.

   2. the primary display screen of a graphical user interface, on which various icons represent files, groups of files, programs, or the like, which can be moved, accessed, added to, put away, or thrown away in ways analogous to the handling of file folders, documents, notes, etc., on a real desk.

desktop British  

/ ˈdɛskˌtɒp /

noun

1. the main screen display on a personal computer, from which windows may be opened and programs run

2. (modifier) denoting a computer system, esp for word processing, that is small enough to use at a desk

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• desktops
  plural

Etymology

Origin of desktop

First recorded in 1925–30; desk + top ¹

Explanation

A desktop is the surface of a desk, the part you use for writing or resting your laptop on. Particularly tidy people might need to clean the entire desktop before getting any work done. Your literal desktop — the top or surface of your desk — inspired the name for your computer desktop, the home screen on which you organize icons representing your files. When you're using a computer, you generally start from your desktop, opening windows or clicking on a file. When desktop is used as an adjective, it typically means "meant to be kept and used on your desk," like a desktop computer or a desktop scanner.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

desktop desktops

In some displays, Siri appeared as a bubble on a desktop, indicating that it is listening and would no longer require the “Hey Siri” prompt to which users are accustomed.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 8, 2026

On the other side are the companies that buy that memory and build it into things they sell: game consoles, phones, laptops and the components inside a desktop computer.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 8, 2026

Microsoft's badge and the desktop device would connect to various Microsoft software and PCs, letting a person interact with their AI agents outside of a laptop or desktop computer.

From BBC ● Jun. 2, 2026

Nvidia is collaborating with Microsoft, Dell, and HP as well as other manufacturers to integrate the chips into 30 laptop and 10 desktop models.

From Barron's ● Jun. 1, 2026

He tapped a finger on his polished desktop.

From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam

The Nvidia chip will be released in the fall, and will power desktops from companies including Dell, HP, Lenovo and Microsoft.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 1, 2026

RTX Spark-powered laptops and desktops, made by the likes of Dell and Lenovo, will be available this autumn, Nvidia said.

From Barron's ● Jun. 1, 2026

In the 1970s, Banatao joined gatherings of the Homebrew Computer Club, a band of hobbyists and tinkerers that included Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and others who envisioned machines that could perch on desktops.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 15, 2026

Once students started using desktops from prison classrooms, he pre-loaded academic articles onto thumb drives they could explore offline.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 30, 2025

But the Windows-enabled PCs and Apples made it possible for individuals to author their own content right from their desktops in digital form.

From "The World Is Flat" by Thomas L. Friedman