dongle
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dongle
- /ˈdɒŋɡl̩/ UK
- /ˈdɑŋɡl̩/ US
Rhymes with -ɒŋɡəl
Where it comes from
Unknown. Likely a descendant of dangle, reflecting that electronic accessories such as computer peripherals often are plugged in via a flexible cable (although wirelessness is also often relevant). Claims that the word comes from a man named "Don Gall" were made up by an advertisement. First usage 1980-1985.
noun dongles
- Any small device that plugs into an electronic device, typically a computer, and alters its functionality. Common examples include wireless modems, digital media players, software copy protect devices, and adapters. FreedomPop will offer three different flavors of broadband: a USB dongle that allows you to connect your computer to the internet, a WiFi hotspot device, and an iPhone case that allows you to override the phone's existing network and use it as a FreedomPop hotspot.
- A hardware device used by a specific application for purposes of copy protection. Take the dongle, for example. It is the summit of copy protection, an explicit melding of software and hardware. Without the right hardware key—the dongle—plugged into the machine's parallel port, the software won't run.
Translations
Every language
noun a hardware device utilized by a specific application for purposes of copy protection
| Español | dongle |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 동글 donggeul |
| 日本語 | ドングル donguru |
| 中文 | 加密狗 jiāmìgǒu |
| Français | dongle, clé électronique |
| Deutsch | Dongle, Kopierschutzstecker |
| Ελληνικά | κλειδωτήρι kleidotíri |
| Русский | электро́нный ключ elektrónnyj ključ, аппара́тный ключ apparátnyj ključ, донгл dongl |
Talk about this word "dongle." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/dongle. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. dongle. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/dongle "dongle." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/dongle.Cite this
@misc{dongle_2026,
title = {dongle},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/dongle},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
