touchpad

noun

touch·​pad ˈtəch-ˌpad 

variants or less commonly touch pad

plural touchpads also touch pads

1

: a keypad for an electronic device (such as a microwave oven) that consists of a flat surface divided into several differently marked areas which are touched to choose options

… the built-in fingerprint scanner or modern-looking numeric touchpad can also be used to allow you (as well as your family members and/or friends) to gain entry to your home …

—Jason R. Rich

Instead of poking at a touch pad to set the cook time, he twists a dial.

—Jacob Sweet

2

: a flat usually rectangular interface for an electronic device (such as a computer) that controls the movement of a cursor by the movement of a finger against the surface of the interface : trackpad

… as soon as you have three fingers on the touchpad, it will be interpreted as a click-and-hold input. Move your three fingers in unison to drag an item wherever it needs to go …

—Sydney Louw Butler

… the touch pad will respond to swipe and click commands without a lot of pressure or effort.

—Brittany Vincent

Examples of touchpad in a Sentence

Press the start button on the touch pad.

Recent Examples on the Web

The keyboard and touchpad are both good-sized and well-built, and port selection is solid but not exceptional. — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 7 Sep. 2026

The company describes it as the world's first hands-free touchpad. — Jesse Watson , Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 14 Aug. 2026

MouthPad is a touchpad that sits over the upper teeth like a slim dental retainer and is controlled with the tip of the tongue. — Maryna Holovnova, New Atlas, 3 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

touch entry 1 + pad entry 1

First Known Use

1971, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

touch pad

noun

: a keypad for an electronic device (as a microwave oven) that consists of a flat surface divided into several differently marked areas which are touched to choose options