a piece of furniture with a writing surface and usually drawers or other compartments
"She pushed her laptop aside to clear space on the desk for the new paperwork she needed to file in the drawer."
A table, frame, or case, in past centuries usually with a sloping top but now usually with a flat top, for the use of writers and readers. It often has a drawer or repository underneath.
"She pulled up her chair to sit at the sturdy wooden desk where she kept all her writing materials."
In plain English: A desk is a flat table with legs that you use to write, study, or put your computer on.
"I put my homework on the desk before leaving for the day."
Usage: Use "desk" to refer to a piece of furniture designed for working at, typically featuring a flat surface and storage space like drawers underneath. It is distinct from a table because it is specifically intended for writing tasks and office use rather than general dining or socializing.
To shut up, as in a desk; to treasure.
"The old family heirloom was so cherished that she locked it away in her most secure hiding spot, treating it like a treasured secret."
In plain English: To desk something means to put it into a computer file instead of keeping it as a physical paper document.
"He decided to desk his job and work remotely from home."
Usage: The verb form of "desk" is an obsolete or dialectal term meaning to lock away or treasure something carefully. It should not be used in modern standard English, where the noun "desk" refers only to a piece of furniture for writing or working.
The word desk entered Middle English as deske via a form of the Medieval Latin desca, which was borrowed from Old Italian desco. This term ultimately traces back to the Latin discus, originally referring to a flat round object like a plate or disk.