charger
1 Americannoun
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a platter.
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a large, shallow dish for liquids.
noun
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a person or thing that charges
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a large strong horse formerly ridden into battle
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a device for charging or recharging an accumulator or rechargeable battery
noun
Etymology
Origin of charger1
First recorded in 1475–85; charge + -er 1
Origin of charger2
First recorded in 1275–1325, charger is from the Middle English word chargeour. See charge, -or 2
Explanation
A charger is the accessory you plug into your phone or laptop when the battery power is low. If you're bringing your digital camera with you on vacation, it's important to remember your charger. Devices that are powered by rechargeable or internal batteries need a charger to keep that battery working. When you plug a laptop charger into an outlet, a jolt of electricity recharges the laptop battery's cells. An entirely different kind of charger is a war horse — a large, sturdy animal that was trained to carry soldiers in battle. This is the 18th century meaning of charger, and it's based on the verb charge and its meaning "rush into battle."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
There was a wonky wireless phone charger, but a USB-C outlet would have been more useful.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
Later, Mannion was said to have taken exception to Powles's sister, Linda Wilson, using a phone charger belonging to him which had been behind the bar.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
The home charger that they got for the Hyundai is still in their garage, with no car to plug into.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 8, 2026
Wielding her phone and charger, Rachida Mamakh, 48, eyes red from tears, questioned every returnee for news of her 23-year-old son Zouhair.
From Barron's ● Aug. 2, 2026
She gets me out of bed, straps me into my chair, unplugs the Medi-Talker from the charger, and hooks me up.
From "Out of My Mind" by Sharon M. Draper
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
