kiosk

American  

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

noun

• kiosks
  plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• kiosks
  plural

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

See Examples For:

kiosk kiosks

His wife had no issues at the kiosk; he was rejected and directed to a line for manual verification.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

That part of the city has since been bulldozed and replaced by the offices of Central Square, but some older residents will remember the newspaper kiosk and the man who ran it.

From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026

They also know exactly when their customers' phones are within range of a kiosk.

From BBC ● May 28, 2026

The 66 to Cali kiosk is owned by Dan Rice, who started the business in 2009 after years of travels on the Mother Road.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 12, 2026

She pulled down the wooden shutters of the kiosk, covering the neatly arranged cases of matches, chewing gum, sweets, cigarettes, and detergent, and then picked up Olanna’s bag and led the way into the yard.

From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

A thick queue of customers waited for the self-order kiosks.

From Slate ● Aug. 24, 2026

The reopening was packed with shoppers, store owners and residents, who milled about the refurbished center and enjoyed free drinks and food offered from kiosks.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026

Either way, there were multiple kiosks at Gare du Nord and I breezed through after a passport scan.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

It was previously hoped many of these would complete their EES registrations at the new Western Docks facility, which is equipped with 84 kiosks to record biometric details.

From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026

It had a few benches bolted to the ground here and there, as well as a couple of kiosks for notices.

From "The City of Ember" by Jeanne DuPrau

Related Words

• booth
• newsstand
• stall