expansion card

noun

: a circuit board connecting to a motherboard which expands the capabilities of a computer

Examples of expansion card in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Scores of third-party vendors sprang up to make expansion cards. Jamie Lendino, PC Magazine, 30 Mar. 2026 This concept eventually turned into an expansion card for the Apple IIe. Cameron Kaiser, ArsTechnica, 12 Sep. 2025 These include high-capacity input hubs, as well as external boxes that can host PCIe expansion cards with I/O for specialized video workflows, or for attaching extra-high-speed portable storage. Joe Osborne, PCMAG, 5 Mar. 2025 The system also retains some modularity, with swappable black or translucent side panels, an optional carrying handle, 21 customizable tiles on the front (which can be either bought or 3D-printed), and two slots on the front for the same expansion cards used for Framework Laptops. Ars Technica, 25 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1982, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of expansion card was in 1982

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Expansion card.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/expansion%20card. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster