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

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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”

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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

I’ve walked into plenty of busy restaurants where the prevailing atmosphere suggested human error was the expectation rather than the exception, and a kiosk felt like a little gift.

From Salon ● Oct. 11, 2026

Since the pandemic, it’s not unusual for people to wear protective masks, so the renter will wear a mask to hide their identity from the kiosk camera.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 11, 2026

The problem was clear just moments after meeting kiosk owner Bella McBride, as one of her customers faced a long wait to pay by card.

From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026

Shake Shack denied charging “no tip” fees after a viral TikTok appeared to show menu prices jumping when a customer declined a gratuity, blaming the error on a kiosk malfunction.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

Before the taxi parked outside the communal compound in Sabon Gari, Olanna saw Aunty Ifeka sitting by her kiosk on the roadside.

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

The welcome screen at the ticket kiosks noted a “fare adjustment,” with no further information, and no signage appeared anywhere near the main entrance or inside the train depot.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2026

There were a few customers in scrubs and two self-order kiosks, both broken.

From Salon ● Oct. 3, 2026

Hwang gathered along with 30 neighbours for a session in August, practising how to pay hospital bills at mock kiosks, patting a prancing robot dog, or asking their phones: "Gemini, tell me about tomorrow's weather."

From Barron's ● Sep. 14, 2026

Some diners bristled at having to order from kiosks, saying that many fast-food counters no longer had people readily staffing them.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026

They walked together toward Park Street station, past the kiosks that sold cheap belts and handbags.

From "Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri

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Related Words

• booth
• newsstand
• stall

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