davenport

plural davenports

1. A large sofa, especially a formal one.

   Holonym: furniture

   2 more examples

   He blundered into the living-room, lay on the davenport, hands behind his head.

   1922, Sinclair Lewis, Babbitt

   Beezus felt a little better. She curled up on the davenport again with 202 Things to Do on a Rainy Afternoon and read about making Christmas tree ornaments out of cellophane straws, until she heard her aunt's car turn into the driveway.

   1955, Beverly Cleary, Beezus and Ramona

2. A writing desk, especially a small one.

   He crosses to the davenport to get the policies from his briefcase,

   1944, Billy Wilder, Raymond Chandler, Double Indemnity, (screenplay)

   1 more example

   Then she went into the house, and, sitting down at the davenport in the dining-room, got out a sheet of her best notepaper, and wrote a note to Pamela Dysart in her strong, commercially clear hand.

   1894, E[dith Anna] Œ[none] Somerville, Martin Ross [pseudonym; Violet Florence Martin], chapter IV, in The Real Charlotte […], volume I, London: Ward and Downey […], →OCLC, page 47

plural Davenports · alternative Devenport

1. A surname
   1. countableuncountableA habitational surname from Old English from the town in Cheshire.
   2. countableuncountableA surname from Irish of Irish origin from the Gaelic Ó Donndubhartaigh.
   3. countableuncountableA surname from Anglo-Norman of Anglo-Norman origin: de avesne port, where avesne is derived from Frankish avisna ("field" see:Wiese).
2. A placename; Any of a number of places in the English-speaking world:
   1. countableuncountableA hamlet in Brereton parish, Cheshire East district, Cheshire, England (OS grid ref SJ8065).
   2. countableuncountableA suburb of Stockport, Greater Manchester, England, historically in Cheshire (OS grid ref SJ8988).
   3. countableuncountableA neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
   4. countableuncountableA census-designated place in Santa Cruz County, California.
   5. countableuncountableA city in Polk County, Florida.
   6. countableuncountableA city, the county seat of Scott County, Iowa.
   7. countableuncountableA village in Thayer County, Nebraska.
   8. countableuncountableA town in Delaware County, New York.
   9. countableuncountableA minor city in Cass County, North Dakota.
   10. countableuncountableA town in Lincoln County, Oklahoma.
   11. countableuncountableAn unincorporated community in Buchanan County, Virginia.
   12. countableuncountableA small city, the county seat of Lincoln County, Washington.
   13. countableuncountableA locality in the Barkly Region, Northern Territory.
   14. countableuncountableA suburb of Port Augusta, South Australia.
   15. countableuncountableA suburb of Bunbury, Western Australia.