escritoire

English

WOTD – 16 July 2007

An escritoire

Alternative forms

• scrutoire, scrutore (obsolete)

Etymology

From French, from escrire, obsolete form of écrire + -oire, indicating a tool or object. Doublet of scriptorium.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌɛskɹiˈtwɑː/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˌɛskɹɪˈtwɑːɹ/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Noun

escritoire (plural escritoires)

1. A writing desk with a hinged door that provides the writing surface.
   • 1838 (date written), L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “(please specify the page)”, in Lady Anne Granard; or, Keeping up Appearances. […], volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […], published 1842, →OCLC, pages 199–200:

     To surprise him, by finding on his table the books he liked, or the escritoire he had occasion for, gave Louisa the most delightful moments life had hitherto afforded her;...

   • 1857 April 1, Herman Melville, chapter II, in The Confidence-Man: His Masquerade, New York, N.Y.: Dix, Edwards & Co., […], →OCLC:

     Fine promenades, domed saloons, long galleries, sunny balconies, confidential passages, bridal chambers, state-rooms plenty as pigeon-holes, and out-of-the-way retreats like secret drawers in an escritoire, present like facilities for publicity or privacy.

   • 1959, Anthony Burgess, Beds in the East (The Malayan Trilogy), published 1972, page 561:

     Rosemary sat at her Public Works Department escritoire, in a sea of fed cats, and tried to write a letter to Vythilingam.

Synonyms

• bureau, secretary

Related terms

• escritorial

Translations

A writing desk with a hinged door

• Czech: sekretář (cs) m
• German: ausklappbarer Schreibsekretär m
• Hebrew: מִכְתָּבָה (he) f (michtavá)
• Hungarian: szekreter (hu)
• Icelandic: skatthol n, skrifborð (is) n
• Italian: scrittoio (it) m
• Spanish: escritorio (es) m, escribanía (es) f
• Swedish: sekretär (sv) c
• Turkish: yazı masası (tr), yazıhane (tr), yazak (tr)