dongle

American  

[dong-guhl, dawng‑] / ˈdɒŋ gəl, ˈdɔŋ‑ /

noun

Digital Technology.

dongles plural

1. a hardware device, paired with a licensed copy of a software program, that must be plugged into a computer to authorize every use of the software.

   an antipiracy dongle.

2. a device that can be plugged into a hardware port on a computer, television, or other electronic device, to enable access when connecting devices to peripherals, to the internet, or to each other: an HDMI dongle with television apps;

   a USB dongle for wireless internet access;

   an HDMI dongle with television apps;

   a display port dongle to connect the laptop to the projector.

---

dongle British  

/ ˈdɒŋɡəl /

noun

1. computing an electronic device that accompanies a software item to prevent the unauthorized copying of programs

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• dongles
  plural

Etymology

Origin of dongle

First recorded in 1980–85; probably an arbitrary coinage

Example Sentences

Communication with Zigbee devices will be possible through the SmartThings Dongle, allowing connectivity to a wide range of smart home devices.

From The Verge • May 5, 2022

Price: ~$50 Get 20% off on Amazon with code ANKER056 Amazon Dongle dangler Apple doesn't sell phones with headphone jacks anymore!

From The Verge • Nov. 5, 2018

In late November, the couple and their nine children climbed aboard a battered 44-seater outside their house in Dongle, in the far north of Sudan, and rode south across the Sahara for nine days.

From Time • Dec. 30, 2010