dongle

noun

don·​gle ˈdäŋ-gəl 

ˈdȯŋ-

: 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

Setting Up The Device Gemini is available as a dongle that plugs directly into your television (similar to Roku and Fire TV devices), or a small low-profile box that sits next to your television. — Rick Ellis, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026

Content-forward, but not overbearing Companies that make streaming dongles and smart TVs have long pushed the idea of content-forward user interfaces. — Janko Roettgers, The Verge, 28 May 2026

First launched in 2013, Google’s Chromecast lineup allowed users to stream video, music, and games from their phone, tablet, or computer to a TV using a small portable dongle inserted into the TV’s HDMI port. — Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 24 May 2026

The dongle receives information from the mouse and relays it to the computer’s operating system through Bluetooth or a radio frequency. — Bestreviews, Mercury News, 20 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

perhaps alteration of dangle

First Known Use

1981, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for dongle

• mongol