kiosk

American  

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

noun

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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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”

Example Sentences

A little zest rubbed directly into the yogurt gives it that sun-dappled brunch energy — not “airport kiosk at 6:12 a.m.”

From Salon • Mar. 17, 2026

“Travelers will process with a kiosk system that captures their biometric data and compares it to TSA’s Secure Flight watch lists,” said Tom Spagnola, senior vice president of partner relations at CheapOair.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 21, 2026

A check-in kiosk in the lobby spit out our orange water-park passes and saved me from standing in line at the front desk.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 7, 2026

The spokesperson said they would be sending an engineer "to inspect the kiosk and carry out any necessary repairs and cleaning", adding they had a team of dedicated engineers for phone-box maintenance.

From BBC • Dec. 5, 2025

They ran down the stairs to a kiosk that sold the early edition of Sunday’s New York Times.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin

Related Words

• booth
• newsstand
• stall