What does escritoire mean?
An escritoire is a writing desk whose front drops or folds down on hinges to reveal a compact, fitted workspace: shallow drawers, pigeonholes for papers, and small compartments for inkwells and stationery. The word came into English from French in the seventeenth century and remains a favourite among antique dealers, furniture historians, and writers who want a touch of elegance. Escritoires were especially popular from the eighteenth century onward, when letter-writing was a central social activity and a dedicated, lockable place for correspondence was a mark of refinement. Today the word appears chiefly in catalogues, auctions, and descriptive prose rather than casual conversation, where plainer terms like 'writing desk' or 'bureau' prevail. Its charm lies partly in its sound and partly in its history — it shares a root with 'secretary' and 'secrete', a reminder that this graceful piece of furniture was designed to keep one's private papers private.
nounA writing desk with a hinged fall-front that opens to reveal a fitted interior of small drawers, pigeonholes, and compartments.
- A writing desk with a hinged fall-front opening onto a fitted interior of drawers, pigeonholes, and compartments.
"She kept her letters locked in the escritoire in the corner of the study."
"The auction house's catalogue described a walnut escritoire dating from about 1760."
"He settled at his grandmother's escritoire each evening to answer correspondence by hand."
Regular plural; used when discussing multiple desks, typically in inventory, auction, or historical contexts.
"The manor's estate sale included three escritoires from the Georgian period."
An escritoire is literally a 'secret' piece of furniture — it comes from the same Latin root as 'secretary' and 'secrete', because its fall-front hides your papers away.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of escritoire
Esritoire entered English in the early seventeenth century from French écritoire, meaning 'writing desk'. The French word derives ultimately from Latin scriptorius, 'relating to writing', from scribere, 'to write' — the same root that gives us scribe, scripture, and describe. It is thus a cousin of 'secretary', which traces back through Latin secretarius, originally meaning a keeper of secrets or confidential writings; the shared idea is of writing done privately or professionally. The word has remained stable in form since its adoption into English.
How escritoire is actually used
Escritoire is a somewhat formal or old-fashioned term, encountered most often in furniture description, antiques dealing, interior design, and literary prose. In everyday speech most speakers would say 'writing desk' or 'bureau'. It is fully standard English but carries an air of elegance or period charm.
Easily confused with escritoire
A secretary (or secretaire) is a broader term for a writing desk, often a tall case piece with bookshelves above, whereas an escritoire specifically denotes a desk with a drop-down front concealing storage.