Meanings
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA bureau; a piece of writing furniture with a lid that closes at an angle and opens up as a writing surface.
Origin
Named after John Winthrop, 17th-century governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Winthrop died in 1647, before this kind of desk was invented (in the 18th century), but his name was attached to these desks by the Winthrop Furniture Co. of Boston, Massachusetts, who offered their "Gov. Winthrop" desk in 1924, during the colonial revival period.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
Governor Winthrop desk. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Governor%20Winthrop%20desk
“Governor Winthrop desk.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Governor%20Winthrop%20desk. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Governor Winthrop desk,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Governor%20Winthrop%20desk.
Source: Governor Winthrop desk on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.