desk.
A table, frame, or case, in past centuries usually with a sloping top but now usually with a flat top, for the use of writers and readers. It often has a drawer or repository underneath.
Meaning & usage
A table, frame, or case, in past centuries usually with a sloping top but now usually with a flat top, for the use of writers and readers. It often has a drawer or repository underneath.
She organized her notes neatly on her desk before starting the project.
The desk was cluttered with papers and books, making it hard to concentrate.
A reading table or lectern to support the book from which the liturgical service is read, differing from the pulpit from which the sermon is preached; also (especially in the United States), a pulpit. Hence, used symbolically for the clerical profession.
A department tasked with a particular topic or focus in certain types of businesses, such as newspapers and financial trading firms.
the city desk, the sports desk
the options desk, the equities desk
Ellipsis of mixing desk.
A station for a string player in an orchestra, consisting of a chair and a music stand, or a row of such stations.
The first four desks of cellos play separate parts, making a lush, Impressionist harmony.
Where this word comes from
From Middle English deske, desque, from Medieval Latin desca, modified from Old Italian desco, from Latin discus. Doublet of dais, disc, discus, dish, disk, and diskos. See also German Tisch, "table".
To shut up, as in a desk; to treasure.
To equip with a desk or desks.
To reject (an article submitted to a newspaper or academic journal etc.) on initial receipt, without reviewing it further.
Where this word comes from
From Middle English deske, desque, from Medieval Latin desca, modified from Old Italian desco, from Latin discus. Doublet of dais, disc, discus, dish, disk, and diskos. See also German Tisch, "table".
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Definitions, grammatical labels, IPA, etymology and examples: Wiktionary contributors, extracted by Kaikki / Wiktextract. Adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected fields and authored examples are shown; third-party quotations and audio are omitted. See contributor history.
Last enriched 2026-09-10. Definitions are in English. Romanizations are shown when supplied by the source; syllable estimates are omitted for unsupported scripts.