desk

noun

\ ˈdesk

Definition of desk

1a : a table, frame, or case with a sloping or horizontal surface especially for writing and reading and often with drawers, compartments, and pigeonholes

b : a reading table or lectern from which a liturgical service is read

c : a table, counter, stand, or booth at which a person works

2a : a division of an organization specializing in a particular phase of activity the Russian desk in the Department of State

b : a seating position according to rank in an orchestra a first-desk violinist

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about desk

Keep scrolling for more

Examples of desk in a Sentence

an information desk at an airport We will ask for directions to the restaurant at the front desk. We went to the reception desk to check into our room.

Recent Examples on the Web

Men could wear short-sleeve Oxford shirts instead of jackets; women can feel less of a need to bundle up in heavy cardigans or use space heaters under their desks. — Kara Alaimo, Twin Cities, "Kara Alaimo: The great corporate female freeze-out," 4 June 2019 In short, something strange and eye-catching for your desk. — Maude Campbell, Popular Mechanics, "How Super7 Built a Business Around the Toys No One Else Would Dare Make," 20 Mar. 2019 So behind my desk at home, where size, weight, and noise don't enter into the equation, the Model M is front and center. — Iljitsch Van Beijnum, Ars Technica, "Why I use a 20-year-old IBM Model M keyboard," 8 Nov. 2018 Prospective buyers were ushered back to the desk and offered a glass of water. — Town & Country, "Mary Boone Is Taking a Break," 18 Apr. 2019 From his perch on the trading desk, Kennedy had an important role in the loan-approval process. — Salvador Rizzo, Washington Post, "The thinly-sourced theories about Trump’s loans and Justice Kennedy’s son," 12 July 2018 Four years ago a previous fire had destroyed about a third of the building, including the famous library, crafted entirely by Mackintosh, from the desks to the lights. — The Economist, "A burnt-out case," 21 June 2018 Police found another straw with a white powder substance in plain view on the desk. — Erik S. Hanley, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Woman wanted on drug charges set up apartment inside vacant Cudahy building, police say," 20 June 2018 The ivy that snaked across the bookshelf and over the desk had started out as a miserable thing, cut back by a patient and given to Flaherty as both a prop and a gift: Its puny sprouts were meant to symbolize how ravaged the patient felt. — Eric Boodman, STAT, "It’s not ‘all in your head’: When other doctors give up on patients, a boundary-breaking neurologist treats them," 19 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'desk.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.