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Meaning & use

check desk

noun·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˈtʃek desk/
US/ˈtʃek desk/

Meanings

  1. nouncountable

    A counter where you go to register, hand over bags, or pay before a flight, a stay, or a service.

    Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a check desk' or 'the check desks' when talking about more than one.

    Patterns

    • at the check desk
    • go to the check desk
    • a check desk for something

    Please take your suitcase to the check desk before you go through security.

    The line at the check desk was so long that we almost missed our flight.

    Ask at the check desk if you need to change the dates of your stay.

  2. nouncountable

    A small table or station near an entrance where staff look at tickets, passes, or documents.

    Grammar: Countable and often used with 'the' when both speaker and listener know which desk is meant.

    Patterns

    • the check desk at the entrance
    • show something at the check desk
    • staff the check desk

    A woman at the check desk looked at our tickets and pointed us toward the hall.

    Visitors must stop at the check desk and collect a badge.

Word forms

pluralcheck desks

Common combinations

at the check desk
We met by the check desk and walked to the gate together.
the check desk closes
The check desk closes forty minutes before departure.
queue at the check desk
A long queue had formed at the check desk by seven in the morning.
check desk staff
The check desk staff were friendly and quick.
go to the check desk
Go to the check desk if your bag is too heavy.

Synonyms and how they differ

counter
A more general word for any flat surface where customers are served; use 'counter' when you are not talking about registration or check-in.
reception
Refers to the desk or area in a hotel or office where guests arrive; it is broader and does not always involve checking bags or tickets.
check-in desk
The usual British term and a very common American one for the airport or hotel counter; 'check desk' is a shorter, less standard form.

Word family

check in phrasal verb
To register at a hotel or airport when you arrive.
check-in noun
The act or process of registering at a hotel or airport.
checkout noun
The process of paying and leaving a hotel, or the counter where you pay in a store.

Commonly confused: check desk or desk? check desk or check-in?

check desk vs desk

A desk is a piece of furniture for writing or working; a check desk is a service point, not usually a place where anyone sits to work.

check desk vs check-in

'Check-in' is the activity or the time when you register; 'check desk' is the physical counter where that happens.

Practice

Where should you go if you need to hand in your suitcase at the airport?

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