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.
Customers can check charger availability on the Walmart app.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
The 24-year-old stopped buying sneakers, which he used to like collecting, and fretted over small purchases like a phone charger.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 24, 2026
But having a bidirectional charger means this stored energy can be fed back into the grid to power the flats' electrical appliances, lighting and other systems.
From Barron's ● Jun. 12, 2026
"When you land in the destination airport, there might be queues, so you should bring a portable charger or water," she said.
From BBC ● May 29, 2026
This frightened him badly for of course it showed that no one who knew anything about horses would mistake Bree for anything but a charger.
From "The Horse and His Boy" by C.S. Lewis
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.
