laptop
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of laptop
Explanation
Laptop is short for laptop computer. The big computer on your desk is a desktop, and the small one on your lap is a laptop. See what they did there? Now shoo that lapdog and get to work! There are other kinds of portable computers, but a laptop usually has a screen that folds over the keyboard when you’re not using it. The earliest versions of laptops were made in the 1970s, and they've become lighter, thinner, more portable, and much more popular since then. The word laptop was coined in 1984, based on — you guessed it — desktop, which describes the heavier, non-portable computer.
Vocabulary lists containing laptop
Computer Science and Technology - Introductory
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Units 2–3
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Computer Terms
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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.
I replied: “Unless you wanna come to me and bring your laptop along, let’s rain check until you have more flexibility.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 10, 2026
“If you’re in a culture where instant messaging is a frequent way of doing things, you’d better have your laptop sitting next to you,” Smith says.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 30, 2026
Nadiem Makarim, 41, was found guilty of manipulating a school laptop procurement deal during his time in government to enrich himself.
From BBC • Jun. 30, 2026
“If you’re in a culture where instant messaging is a frequent way of doing things, you’d better have your laptop sitting next to you,” Smith says.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 30, 2026
I slide the shirt into the back pocket by my ancient school-provided laptop.
From "Popcorn" by Rob Harrell
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.
