desktop

1 of 2

noun

desk·​top ˈdesk-ˌtäp 

1

: the top surface of a desk

also : an area or window on a computer screen in which icons are arranged in a manner analogous to objects on top of a desk

2

: a desktop computer

desktop

2 of 2

adjective

: of a size that can be conveniently used on a desk or table

desktop computers

compare laptop see also desktop publishing

Examples of desktop in a Sentence

Noun

The desktop was covered with books and stacks of papers.

He created a new folder on his desktop.

Adjective

She is working on a desktop video project.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The stand can be used on a desktop or mounted on a wall, ceiling, or soffit and adjusted for the ideal viewing angle. —PC Magazine, 28 Apr. 2025

An ant colony is an operating system that doesn’t need a desktop. —Jason Snyder, Forbes.com, 27 Apr. 2025

Adjective

Signal, an end-to-end encrypted messaging application, has a desktop app that connects to a user's mobile device through a unique QR code. —Eleanor Watson, CBS News, 25 Apr. 2025

Then the men sat down at desktop computers, opened their Microsoft Excel spreadsheets and began to type. —Natalie Proulx, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1925, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1958, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing desktop

• desktop publishing

Rhymes for desktop

• atop
• backdrop
• backstop
• bebop
• blacktop
• bookshop
• clatsop
• eavesdrop
• estop
• hardtop
• hilltop
• laptop

Kids Definition

desktop

1 of 2 noun

desk·​top ˈdesk-ˌtäp 

1

a

: the top of a desk

b

: an area on a computer screen in which items are arranged as if on top of a desk

2

: a desktop computer

desktop

2 of 2 adjective

: of a size that is suitable for use on a desk or table

a desktop computer