Definition of "desk" in Englisch

noun

1. 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 organized her notes neatly on her desk before starting the project.
   • The desk was cluttered with papers and books, making it hard to concentrate.
   • He sat at his desk for hours, trying to finish the report.

2. A reading table or lectern to support the book from which the liturgical service is read, differing from the pulpit from which the sermon is preached; also (especially in the United States), a pulpit. Hence, used symbolically for the clerical profession.

3. A department tasked with a particular topic or focus in certain types of businesses, such as newspapers and financial trading firms.

   • the city desk, the sports desk
   • the options desk, the equities desk

4. Ellipsis of mixing desk.

5. A station for a string player in an orchestra, consisting of a chair and a music stand, or a row of such stations.

   • The first four desks of cellos play separate parts, making a lush, Impressionist harmony.

verb

1. (transitive) To shut up, as in a desk; to treasure.

2. (transitive) To equip with a desk or desks.

3. (transitive, journalism) To reject (an article submitted to a newspaper or academic journal etc.) on initial receipt, without reviewing it further.