escritoire

escritoire — noun

1. A small desk or table with a surface for writing letters, notes, or other papers

1.nounC2
Definition

A small desk or table with a surface for writing letters, notes, or other papers, often with a more traditional or decorative style than an ordinary desk.

Example

Yael kept family letters in the drawer of the old escritoire.

collocation: drawer of an escritoire

The hotel room had an escritoire where guests could write postcards.

function: write postcards at an escritoire

Common collocations
  • old escritoire
  • open the escritoire
  • sit at the escritoire
  • write at the escritoire
  • escritoire drawer
Synonyms
  • writing desk

    the closest general term, and less formal or literary

  • desk

    much broader and commonly used for everyday school or office furniture

  • bureau

    often suggests a piece with drawers or a fold-down writing section

Usage Note

Often used for a traditional or decorative writing desk, rather than for an ordinary modern office desk.

Common Mistakes

I left my laptop on the escritoire in our office cubicle.
I left my laptop on the desk in our office cubicle.
escritoire usually refers to a traditional writing desk, not an ordinary modern office desk.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

An escritoire is a traditional writing desk, often small or decorative and sometimes fitted with drawers or compartments. Writing desk is the closest general term and can describe both older and newer furniture made for writing. Desk is much broader, covering everyday school, office, or computer desks. Bureau often suggests a piece with drawers and, in some varieties of English, a fold-down writing section. Table is broader still, because a table may be used for meals, meetings, or display rather than writing. Since escritoire is formal and uncommon, it sounds most natural in descriptions of hotels, older houses, or antique furniture. In everyday office talk, most people would simply say desk.

writing deskdesk ↗bureau ↗table ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • old escritoire
  • wooden escritoire
  • escritoire drawer

Phrases

  • sit at the escritoire
  • open the escritoire
  • write at the escritoire

Prepositions

  • at the escritoire
  • on the escritoire
  • by the escritoire

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word escritoire came into English from French, where it referred to a place or case for writing. It is related to the French verb ecrire, meaning 'to write', and ultimately to a Latin root with the same meaning. In English, it has been used for a small writing desk or cabinet, especially one with drawers or compartments for papers.

First known use

1664

1664, in the meaning defined above