a device that can be connected by means of a plug
computing a module or piece of software that can be added to a system to provide extra functions or features, esp software that enhances the capabilities of a web browser
computing ( as modifier )
plug-in memory cards
First recorded in 1920–25; adjective and noun use of verb phrase plug in
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
When they get home, the residents of a small housing association on the outskirts of Hudiksvall, Sweden, plug in their electric vehicles to charge them or, intriguingly, power their homes.
From Barron's • Jun. 12, 2026
The batteries sold by EcoFlow and Anker Solix typically have outlets of their own, so you can use them to charge phones and even plug in refrigerators and other appliances and medical devices.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026
“I just plug in the same way I always have. I have spent zero seconds modifying my behavior as a result of this war.”
From MarketWatch • May 2, 2026
To game that out, Klosterman said you could invent and plug in a weather forecast with higher temperatures.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026
While the other girls press Lara for more clues, I lie back on my pillow, pull out my cell phone, and plug in my earbuds.
From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston
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.
