trackpad

noun

track·​pad ˈtrak-ˌpad 

variants or less commonly track pad

plural trackpads also track pads

: 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 : touchpad sense 2

That trackpad gives you excellent control, so you might not even want a mouse.

—Popular Science

Over the past century, methods have shifted from character sketches made with pen and paper to creatives working with computers and trackpads, but the skill set is the same.

—Hannah-Rose Yee

He sat at a folding table with a laptop, furiously clicking his track pad, and photographs cycled onto the wall …

—Jane Bua

Examples of trackpad in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In our review of this touch-screen portable, we were impressed by its long battery life, comfortable input from both keyboard, trackpad, and screen, and extensive port selection. — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 14 Aug. 2026

The device combines a pressure-sensitive trackpad positioned against the roof of the mouth with head-motion sensing, which means the cursor can be controlled with either the head or the tongue. — Maryna Holovnova, New Atlas, 3 Aug. 2026

App Developers, both inside Cupertino and out in the wider world, will have to avoid putting any exclusive features in the touch interface; everything needs to be accessible through the trackpad or the keyboard. — Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026

The trackpad changes more noticeably; in part to make room for the bigger battery, Framework has shifted from a trackpad with a physical clicking mechanism to a haptic trackpad that uses vibrations to simulate clicking. — ArsTechnica, 27 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

track entry 2 + pad entry 1

First Known Use

1989, in the meaning defined above