noun

• 1The working surface of a desk.

  ‘The height was good being only 11 mm from the desktop to the surface which would keep wrist strain at a minimum.’

  More example sentences

  • ‘It does however have an issue that the desktop and laminated mouse surfaces don't have and that is added noise.’
  • ‘In comparison I've used a cheap laminated mat and the desktop surface itself.’
  • ‘He was looking down at the desktop, tracing invisible designs across the surface.’
  • ‘There is a complete of table-tops that would go well with any office - planters' pots, waste paper baskets, desktops and innovative-looking pen stands.’
  • ‘Evenings, she cleans offices for corporate execs, so they can arrive the next morning and find their trash cans empty and the coffee rings scrubbed from their desktops.’
  • ‘In the 1980s, wooden desktops were replaced with a grey laminate.’
  • ‘The company has sold about 700 of the desktops since they were launched at the beginning of the year and have been popular with adults as well as children.’
  • ‘We were so pure that year that even the desktops were Formica white.’
  • ‘So I put a few drops of 100% pure tea tree oil onto a damp dish cloth, and wiped the desktop.’
  • ‘Library staff stacked the units neatly on the floor, and cleaned the desktop space.’
  • ‘I'm a clean freak when it comes to my desktop. But am quite surprised to see that it's so cluttered today.’
  • ‘What could possibly be more practical and elegant on your desktop than a gorgeous wood alarm clock?’
  • ‘I use it on a mouse pad, though it works fine on my Formica desktop.’
  • ‘The predominant color in the cabins is coral with red highlights; the ceiling is coral, the Formica desktop is coral, the little coffee table is coral.’

  1. 1.1A computer suitable for use at an ordinary desk.
     ‘a new low-end desktop’
     More example sentences

     • ‘This could be your web server, a desktop computer running a database client application, or both.’
     • ‘A wireless network of two laptop computers and one desktop computer will cost between €450 and €600.’
     • ‘Patients in the computer group used a desktop computer to view a multi-media presentation that included graphics and video and audio clips.’
     • ‘Users can hook into the data and services from anywhere, using anything from a wireless handheld device to a laptop to a desktop computer.’
     • ‘Against the far wall was a computer desk with a desktop computer, printer and other computer gear on it.’
     • ‘Users access standard websites via a host system and a small program downloaded to their desktop computer, which adjusts pages to make them easier to read.’
     • ‘Atop his desk were his desktop computer and his folded up laptop.’
     • ‘Laptops are replacing the old desktop computer, whose days may just be numbered.’
     • ‘You can't simply call your mum from your desktop computer if her computer hasn't been set up at the other end to receive the call.’
     • ‘More than two-thirds of all students today own either a desktop computer or laptop, while 86% have mobile phones.’
     • ‘I have a laptop and a desktop computer, and I use them pretty interchangeably.’
     • ‘It weighs just 2.9 pounds, but it's a desktop computer, not a notebook.’
     • ‘All of my photos are burned onto CD files, stored on my laptop, my desktop computer and again on my portable hard drive unit.’
     • ‘I took my laptop computer out and set it next to a desktop computer that was always kept there.’
     • ‘Upon the desk was a desktop computer and other assorted objects.’
     • ‘Such a calculation takes only a few seconds on a desktop computer.’
     • ‘Atop the desk sat a sleek desktop computer, a little red light on the underside of the cordless mouse glowing slightly.’
     • ‘It's based on mathematical formulas that can be run on an ordinary desktop computer.’
     • ‘I bought a desktop computer and then I bought a notebook computer.’
     • ‘It was even possible to modify the desk in order to hold a desktop computer.’
  2. 1.2The working area of a computer screen regarded as a representation of a notional desktop and containing icons representing items such as files.
     ‘you can now have multiple, overlapping windows on the desktop’
     More example sentences

     • ‘The fix requires customers to download an executable file to the desktop, and then reboot the PC.’
     • ‘Frequently users place icons on the desktop to quickly access some application, files or folders they regularly use.’
     • ‘She had put all her files and icons on her desktop.’
     • ‘Right now the Linux demo makes the physical connection, creates a mount point, mounts the file system, and drops a new icon onto the desktop transparently.’
     • ‘On the subject of alleviating clutter after installing Windows XP, the desktop is devoid of icons except the Recycle Bin.’
     • ‘He moved files around a virtual desktop and grabbed data as needed from other computers.’
     • ‘When enabled, this option displays all your desktop icons about twice the normal size.’
     • ‘Close the Find window and locate the icon on your desktop.’
     • ‘One day there was a document file on the desktop of the computer.’
     • ‘He indicated that the problems were largely confined to the desktop rather than areas such as database access.’
     • ‘When you select an icon from the desktop or choose an item from a menu the text or image becomes highlighted in a different colour.’
     • ‘They were still able to access the Web through the page and get e-mail via their desktop icons.’
     • ‘I don't like icons on my desktop, and have removed most of them.’
     • ‘The installer will prompt for the placement of an icon on the desktop.’
     • ‘Simply drag and drop files to the shredder icon on your desktop.’
     • ‘Are you tired of all those boring little icons on your desktop?’
     • ‘The icon on the desktop has changed colour to a slightly lighter blue.’
     • ‘These days, most organizations seem to back up their servers and hope that their employees don't store the only copy of important files on their company desktops.’
     • ‘On your desktop, it is represented by an icon of a folder with a sheet of paper in it.’
     • ‘To find out more about customizing your desktop icons, click here.’