Meanings
noundesktop (plural desktops)
plural desktops
- The top surface of a desk.
- computingA personal computer, as opposed to computers for business or server purposes.
- computingThe main graphical user interface of an operating system, usually displaying icons, windows and background wallpaper.
I installed a new application and it added its icon to my desktop.
1 more example
Important menus, such as the root menu or Workspace menu, are "pinnable," which means that you can pin them up and keep them on your desktop […]
1994, Linda Mui, Valerie Quercia, X User Tools, page 312
adjectivedesktop (not comparable)
- not comparablecomputingOf an application or website, designed to be run or viewed on a personal computer.
desktop browser
Synonyms & antonyms
noun(computer science) the area of the screen in graphical user interfaces against which icons and windows appear
Similar
backgroundscreen background
Broader
screenCRT screen
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Translations
Arabic سَطْح الْمَكْتَب
- سَطْح الْمَكْتَب (saṭḥ al-maktab)on-screen background
Catalan escriptori, sobretaula
- escriptorithe top surface of a desk
- sobretaulaa desktop computer
- escriptorion-screen background
Chinese Cantonese 桌上電腦 /桌上电脑
- 桌上電腦 /桌上电脑 (coek³ soeng⁶ din⁶ nou⁵)a desktop computer
Chinese Mandarin 桌面, 桌機 /桌机
- 桌面 (zhuōmiàn)the top surface of a desk
- 桌機 /桌机 (zhuōjī)a desktop computer
- 檯式機 /台式机 or 枱式機 /枱式机 (táishìjī)a desktop computer
- 台式机 (táishìjī)a desktop computer
- 檯式電腦 /台式电脑 or 枱式電腦 /枱式电脑a desktop computer
- 台式电脑 (táishì diànnǎo)a desktop computer
- 桌上型電腦 /桌上型电脑 (zhuōshàngxíng diànnǎo)a desktop computer
- 桌面電腦 /桌面电脑 (zhuōmiàn diànnǎo)a desktop computer
- 桌面 (zhuōmiàn)on-screen background
Czech plocha
- plochaon-screen background
Dutch desktop, bureaublad
- desktopa desktop computer
- bureaubladon-screen background
- desktopon-screen background
Esperanto labortablo
- labortabloon-screen background
Finnish työtaso, pöytätietokone
- työtasothe top surface of a desk
- pöytätietokonea desktop computer
- työpöytäon-screen background
French bureau
- bureauon-screen background
German Schreibtischfläche, Desktop-Computer
- Schreibtischflächethe top surface of a desk
- Desktop-Computera desktop computer
- Benutzeroberflächeon-screen background
- Arbeitsoberflächeon-screen background
Greek επιφάνεια εργασίας, επιτραπέζιος υπολογιστής
- επιφάνεια εργασίας (epifáneia ergasías)the top surface of a desk
- επιτραπέζιος υπολογιστής (epitrapézios ypologistís)a desktop computer
- επιφάνεια εργασίας (epifáneia ergasías)on-screen background
Hungarian asztalfelület, dolgozóasztal/munkaasztal felülete
- asztalfelületthe top surface of a desk
- dolgozóasztal/munkaasztal felületethe top surface of a desk
- asztali számítógépa desktop computer
- asztalon-screen background
- munkaasztalon-screen background
- asztalidesigned for use on a desk or similar piece of furniture
- íróasztalidesigned for use on a desk or similar piece of furniture
- asztalicomputing: of an application or website, designed to be run or viewed on a personal computer
Icelandic borðtölva, skjáborð
- borðtölvaa desktop computer
- skjáborðon-screen background
Indonesian desktop
- desktopon-screen background
Irish ríomhaire deisce, deasc
- ríomhaire deiscea desktop computer
- deascon-screen background
Italian computer fisso, calcolatore fisso
- computer fissoa desktop computer
- calcolatore fissoa desktop computer
- elaboratore fissoa desktop computer
- ordinatore fissoa desktop computer
- computatore fissoa desktop computer
- computiere fissoa desktop computer
Japanese 机の上, デスクトップパソコン
- 机の上 (tsukue no ue)the top surface of a desk
- デスクトップパソコン (desukutoppu pasokon)a desktop computer
- デスクトップ (desukutoppu)a desktop computer
- デスクトップ (desukutoppu)on-screen background
Korean 탁상, 데스크톱 컴퓨터
- 탁상 (taksang)the top surface of a desk
- 데스크톱 컴퓨터 (deseukeutop keompyuteo)a desktop computer
- 데스크톱 (deseukeutop)a desktop computer
- 바탕화면 (batanghwamyeon)on-screen background
- 배경화면 (baegyeonghwamyeon)on-screen background
Lithuanian darbalaukis
- darbalaukisa desktop computer
Malay atas meja, komputer meja
- atas mejathe top surface of a desk
- komputer mejaa desktop computer
Polish blat biurka, komputer stacjonarny
- blat biurkathe top surface of a desk
- komputer stacjonarnya desktop computer
- blaszaka desktop computer
- pulpiton-screen background
- biurkoon-screen background
- biurkowydesigned for use on a desk or similar piece of furniture
- przeglądarkowycomputing: of an application or website, designed to be run or viewed on a personal computer
Portuguese desktop, computador de mesa
- desktopa desktop computer
- computador de mesaa desktop computer
- computador de secretáriaa desktop computer
- ambiente de trabalhoon-screen background
- área de trabalhoon-screen background
- desktopon-screen background
Russian столе́шница, насто́льный компью́тер
- столе́шница (stoléšnica)the top surface of a desk
- насто́льный компью́тер (nastólʹnyj kompʹjúter)a desktop computer
- рабо́чий стол (rabóčij stol)on-screen background
Slovak stolová doska, pracovná doska
- stolová doskathe top surface of a desk
- pracovná doskathe top surface of a desk
- stolný počítača desktop computer
- desktopa desktop computer
- plochaon-screen background
Spanish escritorio, sobremesa
- escritoriothe top surface of a desk
- sobremesathe top surface of a desk
- escritorioon-screen background
Swedish skrivbordsdator, skrivbord
- skrivbordsdatora desktop computer
- skrivbordon-screen background
Thai พื้นโต๊ะ, คอมพิวเตอร์ตั้งโต๊ะ
- พื้นโต๊ะthe top surface of a desk
- คอมพิวเตอร์ตั้งโต๊ะa desktop computer
Turkish masaüstü, masaüstü bilgisayar
- masaüstüthe top surface of a desk
- masaüstü bilgisayara desktop computer
- masaüstüon-screen background
Vietnamese máy tính để bàn, hình nền
- máy tính để bàna desktop computer
- hình nềnon-screen background
Cite this entry
APA
desktop. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/desktop
MLA
“desktop.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/desktop. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “desktop,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/desktop.
Source: desktop on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.