desk
Americannoun
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an article of furniture having a broad, usually level, writing surface, as well as drawers or compartments for papers, writing materials, etc.
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a frame for supporting a book from which the service is read in a church.
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a pulpit.
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the section of a large organization, as a governmental bureau or newspaper, having authority over and responsibility for particular operations within the organization.
city desk; foreign desk.
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a table or counter, as in a library or office, at which a specific job is performed or a service offered.
an information desk; reception desk.
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a stand used to support sheet music; music stand.
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(in an orchestra) a seat or position assigned by rank (usually used in combination).
a first-desk flutist.
adjective
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of or relating to a writing desk.
a desk drawer.
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of a size or form suitable for use on a desk.
desk dictionary.
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done at or based on a desk, as in an office or schoolroom.
He used to be a traveling salesman, but now he has a desk job.
noun
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a piece of furniture with a writing surface and usually drawers or other compartments
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a service counter or table in a public building, such as a hotel
information desk
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a support, lectern, or book rest for the book from which services are read in a church
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the editorial section of a newspaper, etc, responsible for a particular subject
the news desk
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a music stand shared by two orchestral players
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these two players
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(modifier)
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made for use at a desk
a desk calendar
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done at a desk
a desk job
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Etymology
Origin of desk
1350–1400; Middle English deske < Medieval Latin desca, descus desk, lectern, probably < a Romance-influenced form of Latin discus discus; dais, dish, Medieval Latin discus refectory table
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He works closely with the national, economics, and investigations desks to create ambitious visual journalism.
Weekend Update, the sketch show’s regular news desk segment, focused heavily on Iran.
From Salon
Every serious trading desk also has redundancy: multiple data providers, multiple risk systems or multiple ways to sanity-check a model.
From MarketWatch
By late morning, I’m ready to head to my desk and start my real workday.
She formerly reported for Business Insider, where she was a correspondent on the company's national desk.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
