1
a
: 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
2
a
: 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
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
The overhead pendant light gives off a warm, ambient glow, and the desk lamp adds a pop of color in addition to focused lighting for reading and studying.
—
Nina Derwin, Architectural Digest, 29 July 2025
No, that’s the reason why Pam Bondi said in February, this is on my desk.
—ABC News, 27 July 2025
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP What To Know In the video, posted to X, Paltrow is sitting at a desk and thanks the public for their interest in Astronomer.
—Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 July 2025
Collins, who has previously celebrated the unique pleasures of the early dinner, finds something to like about lunch in all its guises—the power lunch, the liquid lunch, even the sad desk lunch.
—Ian Crouch, New Yorker, 25 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for desk
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Nina Derwin, Architectural Digest, 29 July 2025
No, that’s the reason why Pam Bondi said in February, this is on my desk.
—ABC News, 27 July 2025
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP What To Know In the video, posted to X, Paltrow is sitting at a desk and thanks the public for their interest in Astronomer.
—Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 July 2025
Collins, who has previously celebrated the unique pleasures of the early dinner, finds something to like about lunch in all its guises—the power lunch, the liquid lunch, even the sad desk lunch.
—Ian Crouch, New Yorker, 25 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for desk
Cite this Entry
“Desk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/desk. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
desk
noun1
a
: a table, frame, or case with a flat or sloping surface especially for writing and reading
b
: a counter at which a person works
2
a
: a specialized division of an organization (as a newspaper)
city desk
b
: a seating position according to rank in an orchestra
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