flash drive

or flashdrive

noun

, Computers.

1. a very small, portable, solid-state hard drive that can be inserted into a USB port for storage and retrieval of data.

flash drive

noun

1. a pocket-sized portable computer hard drive and data storage device See also key drive pen drive thumb drive USB drive

Word History and Origins

Origin of flash drive¹

First recorded in 1990–95

Example Sentences

He also told the Associated Press that sources “very close to Kim and Sean Combs” provided him with a “flash drive, documents and tapes” from Porter that he pieced together to create the memoir.

From Los Angeles Times

“They were so excited to be there with a filmmaker. And they knew that I had made a film about prison guards, so they wanted to watch it. They had found a flash drive and every night, I had no choice in the film I wanted to watch.”

From Seattle Times

In one there was a small pad of paper and a stray computer flash drive.

From Literature

Sara reached into her pocket again and pulled out two items: the lip gloss and the flash drive.

From Literature

Once Brooklyn accessed the system, she pulled out a flash drive containing the virus created by the computer techs at MI6.

From Literature