dongle
noun
ˈdȯŋ-\
Definition of dongle
: a small device that plugs into a computer and serves as an adapter or as a security measure to enable the use of certain software
Examples of dongle in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
If two-key authentication still isn't enough, additional layers of security like the YubiKey hardware dongle have been around for half a decade or so. — Mark Hachman, PCWorld, "Google Chrome's new password manager makes securing Chrome even more important," 5 Sep. 2018 All of this is exactly the same as the older iPad Pro, which supported external displays using a Lighting-to-HDMI dongle. — Nilay Patel, The Verge, "Apple iPad Pro review 2018: the fastest iPad is still an iPad," 5 Nov. 2018 All of the newest MacBook Pros exclusively feature Thunderbolt 3 ports, which some will appreciate but all will scowl at when they're forced to buy multiple dongles to connect legacy accessories. — Valentina Palladino, Ars Technica, "Apple to stop selling 2015 MacBook Pro with old-style keyboard, legacy ports," 12 July 2018 But while Nest and Google were operating awkwardly side by side, Google was establishing itself firmly in the home with Chromecast dongles and Google Home speakers. — Lauren Goode, WIRED, "At Google I/O 2018, Expect All AI All the Time," 7 May 2018 Being out of luck if your dongle breaks or gets lost. — Eric Limer, Popular Mechanics, "The iPhone Is Losing Its Headphone Jack But You'll Be Fine," 1 Sep. 2016 Square, which is best known for its dongle that helps small merchants accept credit cards, began officially offering Bitcoin purchases within its peer-to-peer payment service, Square Cash, in January, following a brief test program. — Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, "Square's Bitcoin Business Is Struggling to Make Money," 2 May 2018 This compact cardioid condenser mic jacks into the phone via a Lightning dongle to bring your sparkling dialog into focus. — Arielle Pardes, WIRED, "Gadgets to Help You Shoot Pro-Quality Movies on Your iPhone," 1 July 2018 In addition to official partnerships, the presentation states that every USB mouse with Windows support would be available on Xbox, including mice with wireless dongles. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "Microsoft Might Add Mouse and Keyboard Support to the Xbox," 26 June 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dongle.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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