noun
bureau
A writing desk with drawers and a lid that folds down into a writing surface.
She folds down the bureau's lid to write a letter.
Etymology
The older word names coarse cloth used to cover a writing surface. The covering’s name passed to the desk itself, including the desk with a folding writing lid.
More examples
- Small drawers inside the bureau held stamps and envelopes.
- The antique bureau stood beside the window.
- He closed the writing surface before moving the bureau.
Forms
bureau · bureaus · bureaux
Similar words
- desk
- Any writing or work table, without necessarily having a folding lid and drawers.