dongle
[ dong-guhl, dawng‐ ]
/ ˈdɒŋ gəl, ˈdɔŋ‐ /
noun Digital Technology.
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.
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: a USB dongle for wireless internet access;an HDMI dongle with television apps;a display port dongle to connect the laptop to the projector.
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Origin of dongle
First recorded in 1980–85; probably an arbitrary coinage
Words nearby dongle
Donetsk, dong, donga, Dongen, Don Giovanni, dongle, Dongola, Dongola leather, dong quai, Dongting, donicker
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for dongle
Out of the gate, the dongle currently supports just three major video platforms: YouTube, Netflix, and Google Play.
First, I plugged the 3-inch dongle into the HDMI input on the back of my TV, and plugged it into its power source.
British Dictionary definitions for dongle
dongle
/ (ˈdɒŋɡəl) /
noun
computing an electronic device that accompanies a software item to prevent the unauthorized copying of programs
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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