noun
desktop
DEHSK-top
noun
1
The flat top surface of a desk.
"He cleared everything off the desktop before the meeting."
2
A computer designed to sit on a desk, or the main screen and icons you see on a computer.
"Her desktop is cluttered with dozens of icons."
"He prefers a desktop computer over a laptop for gaming."
adj
1
Designed for use on a desk, or intended for a personal computer rather than a phone.
"The site looks better on desktop than on mobile."
How to Use Desktop
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe surface of a desk, or a personal computer and its main screen.
Common pairings
desktop computer
desktop wallpaper
desktop version
Word Forms
desktops plural
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He cleared everything off the _____ before the meeting.
Etymology
A compound of "desk" and "top," first used for computers in the 1980s to describe machines meant to sit on an office desk.