dongle

American  

[dong-guhl, dawng‑] / ˈdɒŋ gəl, ˈdɔŋ‑ /

noun

Digital Technology.

dongles plural

1. 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.

2. 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: an HDMI dongle with television apps;

   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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dongle British  

/ ˈdɒŋɡəl /

noun

1. computing an electronic device that accompanies a software item to prevent the unauthorized copying of programs

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• dongles
  plural

Etymology

Origin of dongle

First recorded in 1980–85; probably an arbitrary coinage

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

dongle dongles

Thankfully, more airlines are adding Bluetooth compatibility to screens, but meanwhile consider investing in the AirFly Pro 2, a tiny $60 dongle that plugs into the seat back screen and lets you use wireless headphones.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 23, 2025

Dual wireless connectivity adds to the functionality, for example chatting on a phone call with a Bluetooth smartphone connection and using the dongle at the same time for game audio.

From Washington Times ● Nov. 25, 2023

Before she took the stage, Noname borrowed an iPhone dongle from another performer — an act she referred to as a “socialism doing.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2023

There were complaints when the iMac installed a USB port back in the day—a time when there weren’t many USB-capable products!—and when the Lightning came into being in 2012, there was a whole dongle boondoggle.

From Slate ● Sep. 12, 2023

Ms Felke shares the new device with her nine-year-old daughter, but said they must still rely on mobile data and a dongle as she cannot afford broadband at home.

From BBC ● Jan. 4, 2023

There are many dongles out there; I used the LELink.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 15, 2026

ADAC, Germany’s largest automobile club, warned against using so-called fuel-saving onboard diagnosis dongles, saying it had recently tested one that “blinks and somehow looks like it is doing something. It isn’t.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 20, 2026

Current EV owners will have to get used to a life full of adapter dongles and home chargers that can hop between plug standards.

From Slate ● Sep. 27, 2023

Both axed seemingly in favor of selling us more overpriced dongles.

From The Verge ● Oct. 18, 2021

Even ones that rely on data from telematics dongles plugged into a car still consider other factors like age.

From The Verge ● Oct. 15, 2021