In this unit you will learn the vocabulary that will help you describe objects you could find in an office. You might have used a lot of these words already at school, college and university.
Term |
Definition |
absence |
the occasion or period of time when somebody is away |
agenda |
a list of items to be discussed at a meeting |
air conditioner |
a machine that cools and dries air |
annual leave |
the amount of leave a person is allowed in the period of an year |
bill |
a piece of paper that shows how much you owe somebody for goods or services |
bin |
a container that you put waste in |
binder |
a hard cover for holding sheets of paper, magazines, etc. together |
board |
a group of people who have power to make decisions and control a company or other organization |
briefcase |
a flat case used for carrying papers and documents |
bulldog clip |
a metal device for holding papers together |
business card |
a small card printed with somebody’s name and details of their job and company |
business card holder |
a case for storing business cards |
business day |
a day when offices are normally open |
cable |
a wire, covered in plastic or rubber, that carries electricity, telephone signals, etc. |
calculator |
a small electronic device for calculating with numbers on its face |
calendar |
a page or series of pages showing the days, weeks and months of a particular year |
canteen |
a place where food and drink are served in a factory, school, etc. |
carpet |
a thick woven material made of wool, etc. for covering floors or stairs. |
CD (compact disc) |
a small disc on which sound or information is recorded |
CD DVD burner |
a piece of equipment used for copying sound or information from a computer onto a CD DVD |
chair |
a piece of furniture for one person to sit on, with a back, a seat and legs |
chairperson |
the person in charge of a meeting, who tells people when they can speak, etc. |
charger |
a piece of equipment for loading a battery with electricity |
chart |
a page or sheet of information in the form of diagrams, lists of figures, etc. |
clerk |
a person whose job is to keep the records or accounts in an office, shop store etc. |
clipboard |
a small board with a clip at the top for holding papers, used by somebody who wants to write while standing or moving around |
closed-circuit television (CCTV) |
a system using video cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place, on a limited set of monitors |
colleague |
a person that you work with, especially in a profession or a business |
compass |
an instrument with two long thin parts joined together at the top, used for drawing circles or measuring distances on a map |
computer |
an electronic machine that can store, organize and find information, do calculations and control other machines |
conference call |
a telephone call in which three or more people take part |
conference room/ meeting room |
a room for holding meetings and presentations |
correction fluid (white-out) |
a white liquid that you use to cover mistakes that you make when you are writing or typing, and that you can write on top of |
cupboard |
a space in a wall with a door that reaches the ground, used for storing things |
desk |
a piece of furniture like a table, usually with drawers in it, that you sit at to read, write, work, etc. |
diary |
a book with spaces for each day of the year in which you can write down appointments, make notes, etc. |
document |
an official paper or book that gives information about something, or that can be used as evidence or proof of something |
drawing pin |
a short pin with a large round flat head, used especially for fastening paper to a board or wall |
dust jacket |
a paper cover on a book that protects it but that can be removed |
DVD (digital versatile disc) |
a disc on which large amounts of information, especially photographs and video, can be stored, for use on a computer or DVD player |
envelope |
a flat, paper container used for sending letters in |
eraser |
a small piece of rubber or similar substance, used for removing pencil marks from paper |
fan |
a machine with blades that go round to create a current of air |
file |
a box or folded piece of card for keeping loose papers together and in order |
filing cabinet |
a piece of office furniture with deep drawers for storing files |
fire alarm |
a bell or other device that gives people warning of fire in a building |
fitted carpet |
a type of wall to wall carpeting. |
flip chart |
large sheets of paper fixed at the top to a stand so that they can be turned over, used for presenting information at a talk or meeting |
folder |
a cardboard or plastic cover for holding loose papers, etc. |
glue |
sticky substance that is used for joining things together |
highlighter |
a special pen used for marking words in a text in bright colours |
hole punch |
a tool or machine for cutting holes in paper, leather or metal |
ID badge |
a card with identifying information on it (name, job title, etc.) pinned to one’s clothing |
invoice |
a list of goods that have been sold, work that has been done etc., showing what you must pay |
jewel case |
a plastic box for holding a CD |
keyboard |
the set of keys for operating a computer or typewriter |
lamp |
a device that uses electricity, oil or gas to produce light |
laptop |
a small computer that can work with a battery and be easily carried |
leave |
a period of time when you are allowed to be away from work for a holiday or for a special reason |
lounge |
a public room in a hotel, club, etc. for waiting or relaxing in |
marker pen |
a pen with a thick felt tip |
meeting |
an occasion when people come together to discuss or decide something |
memory stick |
a small memory device that can be used to store data from a computer and to move it from one computer to another |
minutes |
a summary or record of what is said or decided at a formal meeting |
monitor |
a screen that shows information from a computer |
mouse |
a small device that is moved by hand across a surface to control the movement of the cursor on a computer screen |
mouse mat |
a small square of plastic that is the best kind of surface on which to use a computer mouse |
notebook |
a small book of plain paper for writing notes in |
notepad |
sheets of paper that are held together at the top and used for writing notes on |
noticeboard |
a board for putting notices on |
office |
a room or a set of rooms or building where people work, usually sitting at desks |
office hours |
the time when people in offices are normally working |
paid leave |
a period of time away from work in which the employee receives payment |
paper |
the thin material that you write and draw on and that is also used for wrapping and packing things |
paper clip |
a piece of bent wire or plastic that is designed to hold loose sheets of paper together |
paper clip holder |
a container for holding paper clips |
parental leave |
time when a parent is allowed to be away from work to care for a child |
pen |
an instrument made of plastic or metal used for writing with ink |
pen holder |
a container for holding pencils, pens, etc. |
pencil |
a narrow piece of wood, metal or plastic casing, containing a black or colored substance, used for drawing or writing |
pencil sharpener |
a small device with a blade inside, used for making pencils sharp |
photocopier |
a machine that makes copies of documents, etc. by using electro-photographic technology |
pointer |
a small device used to point to things on a map or picture |
post-it |
pieces of paper with an adhesive strip along one of the sides |
power pack |
portable device that converts supply current to direct or alternating current as required by specific equipment |
presentation |
a meeting at which something, especially a new product or idea, or piece of work, is shown to a group of people |
printer |
a machine for printing text on paper, especially one connected to a computer |
projector |
a piece of equipment for projecting photographs, films movies or computer slides onto a screen |
punched pocket |
a plastic cover for holding a small number of paper sheets. |
pushpin |
a type of drawing pin with a colored plastic head that is not flat |
reception |
the area inside the entrance of a hotel, an office building, etc. where guests or visitors go first when they arrive |
receptionist |
a person whose job is to deal with people arriving at or telephoning a hotel, an office building, etc. |
ring binder |
a file for holding papers, in which metal rings go through the edges of the pages, holding them in place |
rolodex |
a rotating file device used to store business contact information |
rubber band |
a thin round piece of rubber used for holding things together |
rubber stamp |
a small tool that you hold in your hand and use for printing the date, the name of an organization, etc. on a document |
ruler |
a straight strip of wood, plastic or metal, marked in centimeters or inches, used for measuring or for drawing straight lines |
safe |
a strong metal box or cupboard with a complicated lock, used for storing valuable things in, for example, money or jewelry |
scanner |
a device which copies pictures and documents so that they can be stored on a computer |
scissors |
a tool for cutting paper or cloth, that has two sharp blades with handles, joined together in the middle |
secretary |
a person who works in an office, working for another person, dealing with letters and telephone calls, typing, keeping records, arranging meetings with people, etc. |
sticky tape |
clear plastic tape that is sticky on one side, used for sticking things together |
set square set |
an instrument for drawing straight lines and angles, made from a flat piece of plastic or metal in the shape of a triangle with one angle of 90° |
sheet |
a piece of paper for writing or printing on, etc. usually in a standard size |
lino (linoleum) |
a single piece of synthetic material used to create a hard wearing floor surface |
shredder |
a machine that tears something into small pieces, especially paper, so that nobody can read what was printed on it |
sick leave |
permission to be away from work because of illness; the period of time spent away from work due to illness |
smoke alarm |
a device that makes a loud noise if smoke is in the air to warn you of a fire |
spreadsheet |
a computer program that is used, for example, when doing financial or project planning. You enter data in rows and columns and the program calculates costs, etc. from it. |
stamp |
a small piece of paper with a design on it that you buy and stick on an envelope or a package before you post it |
staple |
a small piece of wire that is pushed through pieces of paper and bent over at the ends in order to fasten the pieces of paper together |
stapler |
a small device used for putting staples into paper, etc. |
stationery |
materials for writing and for using in an office, for example paper, pens and envelopes |
switch |
a small device that you press or move up and down in order to turn a light or piece of electrical equipment on and off |
swivel chair |
a chair that swivels on its base |
table |
a piece of furniture that consists of a flat top supported by legs |
telephone |
a machine used for talking to somebody else over long distances, using wires or radio; |
to clock in |
to record the time at which you arrive at work, especially by putting a card into a machine |
to clock out |
to record the time at which you leave work, especially by putting a card into a machine |
unpaid leave |
a period of time away from work in which the employee does not receive payment |
water cooler |
a machine, for example in an office, that cools water and supplies it for drinking; |
whiteboard |
a large board with a smooth white surface used to write on with special pens |
workday |
the part of a day during which you work |