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Synonyms

charger

1 American  
[chahr-jer] / ˈtʃɑr dʒər /

noun

  1. a person or thing that charges.

  2. a horse of a kind suitable to be ridden in battle.

  3. Electricity. an apparatus that charges storage batteries.

charger 2 American  
[chahr-jer] / ˈtʃɑr dʒər /

noun

  1. a platter.

  2. a large, shallow dish for liquids.

charger 1 British  
/ ˈtʃɑːdʒə /

noun

  1. a person or thing that charges

  2. a large strong horse formerly ridden into battle

  3. a device for charging or recharging an accumulator or rechargeable battery

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
charger 2 British  
/ ˈtʃɑːdʒə /

noun

  1. antiques a large dish for serving at table or for display

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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."

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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.

For drivers accustomed to the splash-and-dash of gasoline, sitting around for a half-hour at a public charger looked like an act of madness.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026

"Have one place for chargers... so when the phones go away, they go on the charger and that's it."

From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026

The first is that, if you use a home charger along with a standard extension cord that isn’t designed to carry all those amps, you can overheat your outlet.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026

The charger needs to be able to deliver high rates of power, and the car needs to be able to accept them.

From Barron's • Mar. 6, 2026

My phone is plugged in to its charger and resting on the pillow beside me.

From "The Sea in Winter" by Christine Day

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.