adapter

noun

adapt·​er ə-ˈdap-tər 

a-

variants or less commonly adaptor

1

: one that adapts

2

a

: a device for connecting two parts (as of different diameters) of an apparatus

b

: an attachment for adapting apparatus for uses not originally intended

Synonyms

• accessory
• option

Examples of adapter in a Sentence

adapters for the food mixer include a meat grinder and an ice cream maker

Recent Examples on the Web

Those ports can be used to play additional titles and, with the right adapter, to connect original Intellivision controllers. —Alex Harrington, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025

No one wants to deal with tangled cords or missing adapters mid-vacation, and this best-selling Amazon case keeps everything from chargers to memory cards neatly in place. —Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 17 Oct. 2025

At the same time, both rivals rely on external, laptop-style adapters. —PC Magazine, 16 Oct. 2025

That includes docking adapters and other hardware changes key to orbital refueling, a complex process involving two Starships docking in orbit to transfer hundreds of tons of super-cooled propellant. —Reuters, NBC news, 14 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

adapt + -er entry 2

First Known Use

1753, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for adapter

• adaptor
• subchapter
• apter
• captor
• chapter
• raptor

Kids Definition

adapter

noun

adapt·​er

variants also adaptor

ə-ˈdap-tər 

1

: someone or something that adapts

2

a

: a device for connecting two parts (as of different diameters) of a usually larger device

b

: an attachment for adapting a device for uses not originally intended

Medical Definition

adapter

noun

adapt·​er

variants also adaptor

ə-ˈdap-tər 

1

: one that adapts

2

a

: a device for connecting two parts (as of different diameters) of an apparatus

b

: an attachment for adapting apparatus for uses not originally intended