noun
Davenport
DA-vuhn-pawt
noun
1
A large, comfortable sofa, especially one meant for a formal sitting room.
"They stretched out on the davenport to watch the evening news."
"Grandma still calls any big sofa a davenport."
2
A small, ornate writing desk.
"She kept her letters locked in the drawer of an antique davenport."
How to Use Davenport
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishAn old-fashioned word for a large sofa (mainly American, especially Midwestern), or, separately, a small ornamental writing desk.
UK vs US
"Davenport" for a sofa is chiefly American and now sounds dated; British English favors "sofa" or "settee."
Common pairings
stretch out on the davenport
Word Forms
Davenports plural, davenports plural
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Etymology
From the English surname Davenport, originally referring to someone from a place of that name in Cheshire (from the River Dane plus "port"). The furniture sense likely traces to a 19th-century manufacturer or purchaser named Davenport.