As a noun, a desktop is the top surface of a desk or the main screen area on a computer where icons and windows appear. As an adjective, it describes computers or software designed to be used on a desk rather than handheld.
Formed from "desk" + "top," originally meaning the upper surface of a desk. In the late 20th century, it was borrowed into computing to describe the computer’s main working screen, modeled on a real desk.
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