dongle

American  

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

noun

Digital Technology.

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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Etymology

Origin of dongle

First recorded in 1980–85; probably an arbitrary coinage

Example Sentences

Related Apple’s Mac Studio is a new desktop for creative professionals It’s the kind of port selection that means that you won’t have to suffer a dongle to connect anything to your computer.

From The Verge

Unlike most wireless headsets that use a dongle like this, I couldn’t get it to work with my Nintendo Switch dock.

From The Verge

Will I need a special controller or dongle to play on TV?

From The Verge

It now appears that attempt was so unsuccessful, the company’s planning to abandon its Android TV dongle efforts entirely.

From The Verge

Razer includes a USB-A dongle near the battery slots, which is accessible by lifting up on the mouse’s magnetically attached shell.

From The Verge