desk

desk — noun

1. A flat-topped work surface, often fitted with drawers, where a person sits to st

1.nounA1
Definition

A flat-topped work surface, often fitted with drawers, where a person sits to study, handle paperwork, or use a computer.

Example

Luca cleared his desk before starting the new project.

possessive + desk for personal workspace

The old oak desk has been in the Watanabe family for three generations.

Common collocations
  • desk drawer
  • desk lamp
  • desk job
  • sit at a desk
  • clear one's desk
  • desk surface
  • office desk
  • wooden desk
Synonyms
  • table

    general flat surface; used for dining or meetings rather than individual work

  • workbench

    sturdy surface for physical tasks such as woodwork or repairs

  • bureau

    formal, old-fashioned term for a writing desk with drawers and a sloping top

Grammar Patterns

[possessive] + desk

at + [possessive] + desk

adjective + desk

Common Mistakes

I put the dinner plates on the desk.
I put the dinner plates on the table.
desks are designed for working; tables are for dining or general use.

2. A counter or area in a hotel, airport, or other public building where staff prov

2.nounA2
Definition

A counter or area in a hotel, airport, or other public building where staff provide information, accept payments, or help customers.

Example

The reception desk at the Grand Hotel is open twenty-four hours a day.

the + [service type] + desk for public counters

Sade went to the check-in desk and handed over her passport.

Common collocations
  • front desk
  • reception desk
  • check-in desk
  • information desk
  • service desk
  • at the desk
  • behind the desk
  • desk clerk
Synonyms
  • counter

    a long flat surface in a shop or public building where customers are served

  • service counter

    explicitly emphasizes the function of providing service to customers

  • reception

    the specific area in a hotel or office where guests are greeted and checked in

Grammar Patterns

the + [service type] + desk

at the + [service type] + desk

front desk

Usage Note

Commonly preceded by a noun that specifies the kind of service, such as front desk, check-in desk, reception desk, or information desk.

Common Mistakes

Please call the front table for help.
Please call the front desk for help.
a service counter is called a desk, not a table, even if it looks similar.

3. The section of a newspaper, television station, or radio company that handles ne

3.nounB2
Definition

The section of a newspaper, television station, or radio company that handles news reporting and editing for a particular subject area.

Example

Sumin works on the sports desk for a national daily newspaper.

the + [subject] + desk for news departments

The foreign desk sent a reporter to cover the election results.

Common collocations
  • sports desk
  • foreign desk
  • city desk
  • news desk
  • culture desk
  • work on the desk
  • desk editor
  • desk chief
Synonyms
  • department

    general term for any division of an organisation, not limited to media

  • bureau

    a regional office of a news organisation, often in a different city or country

  • section

    a subdivision within a newspaper; broader in meaning than desk

Grammar Patterns

the + [subject] + desk

on the + [subject] + desk

Usage Note

Only used within media organizations. The name of the specialised area — sports, foreign, city, culture, arts — directly precedes 'desk' without any connecting word.

Common Mistakes

I work on the sports table at a newspaper.
I work on the sports desk at a newspaper.
media departments are always called desks, not tables.

4. In classical music ensembles, the spot occupied by a pair of musicians performin

4.nounC1
Definition

In classical music ensembles, the spot occupied by a pair of musicians performing the same instrument, sharing one music stand.

Example

The first violin desk played the melody with precise coordination.

the + [rank] + [instrument] + desk for orchestral hierarchy

Both clarinet players at the same desk turned the page together.

Common collocations
  • first desk
  • second desk
  • third desk
  • violin desk
  • cello desk
  • principal desk
  • at the same desk
  • desk partner
Synonyms
  • stand

    short for music stand; informally used to refer to the same shared seating position

  • seating position

    descriptive term for where a musician sits within an orchestral section

Grammar Patterns

the + [instrument] + desk

[ordinal] + [instrument] + desk

Usage Note

Almost exclusively used in orchestral contexts. Each desk has a 'principal' or 'first-chair' player on the outside seat who leads the pair. The term does not apply to pianists or harpists, who sit separately.

Common Mistakes

The pianist sat at the first desk.
The first violinist sat at the first desk.
desk seating in an orchestra applies to string, wind, and brass players, but not to pianists or harpists.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe flat surfaces used for work or display, but each has a distinct role. A desk is a piece of furniture specifically designed for reading, writing, or using a computer—it typically has drawers and is meant for one person. A table is far more general: used for dining, meetings, or placing objects, and lacks the personal storage of a desk. A workbench is a sturdy surface for manual tasks such as carpentry or repairs; it is not associated with paperwork or computers. A counter is a long, narrow surface in a shop or public building where transactions or service interactions happen. Bureau is an older, more formal term for a writing desk with a sloping top and multiple drawers. For example: 'She sat at her desk grading papers' (personal work area) versus 'They gathered around the table for dinner' (shared general-purpose surface).

table ↗workbench ↗counter ↗bureau ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • desk drawer
  • desk lamp
  • desk chair
  • desk job
  • desk space
  • desk top

Phrases

  • at one's desk
  • behind the desk
  • desk to desk
  • from desk to desk

Prepositions

  • at a desk
  • on a desk
  • behind a desk
  • from behind a desk

Etymology

LatinItalianDutchEnglish

The word 'desk' traces back to Latin 'discus', meaning a disc or plate. In medieval times, Italian developed 'desco' (table), and this passed into Middle Dutch as 'desce'. English borrowed it in the 14th century, originally referring to a table with a sloping top used for writing. Over time, the meaning expanded to include flat work surfaces with drawers and, later, service counters in public places and specialised departments in news organisations.