Forms: 8 escrutore, 8–9 escrutoire, escritoir, (8 escretore, -critore, 9 -cretoire), 8– escritoire. [a. F. escritoire (now écritoire) writing-case, writing-desk:—late L. scrīptōrium apparatus or place for writing, f. scrībĕre to write.]
The aphetic forms scritore, SCRUTOIRE, occur in 17th c.
A writing-desk constructed to contain stationery and documents; in early use, often one of a portable size; more recently, chiefly applied to a larger piece of furniture, a bureau or secretary.
[1611. Cotgr., Escriptoire, a penner.]
1706–7. Farquhar, Beaux’ Strat., V. iv. Captain Gibbet … had made bold … with your Study and Escritore.
1720. Strype, Stow’s Surv. (1754), I. III. vi. 598/2. Chests of Drawers, Escrutores, Tables, and such like Joinery Wares.
1742. Fielding, J. Andrews, III. iii. She … accordingly departed herself, having first broken open my escrutore.
1756. Nugent, Gr. Tour, France, IV. 115. The escrutore, in the middle of this chamber, contains a most magnificent collection of antient and modern medals.
1848. Thackeray, Van. Fair, xxiv. In the large shining mahogany escrutoire Mr. Osborne had a drawer especially devoted to his son’s affairs and papers.
1882. Miss Braddon, Mt. Royal, I. ix. 277–8. An escritoire in the Sherraton style.
attrib. 1849. Dickens, Dav. Copp., xvii. There was a chest of drawers with an escrutoire top.
Hence Escritorial a. nonce-wd., of or pertaining to an escritoire.
1785. Cowper, Let. Newton, Wks. 1837, XV. 163. One more circumstance … will impress upon you … a sense of the value we set upon its escritorial capacity.
