What does adaptor mean?
An adaptor is a device that makes it possible to connect two things that would not otherwise fit together. Most familiarly, it refers to a small piece of hardware used with electrical equipment — for example, a travel adaptor that allows a plug designed for one country's sockets to be used in another's, or an adaptor that converts between different cable or port types. The word can also denote a person who adapts something, most often a writer who transforms a novel or play into a film script. 'Adaptor' and 'adapter' are simply alternative spellings of the same noun: 'adapter' predominates in American English, while 'adaptor' is comparatively more common in British English, particularly in everyday contexts like power plugs. The word derives from the Latin 'adaptare', meaning 'to fit' or 'to adjust'. Practical and unglamorous, the adaptor is nonetheless an essential object of modern life, quietly bridging the gaps between incompatible standards.
A device that connects two things that would not otherwise fit together, especially one enabling electrical equipment to be used with a different plug type, socket, or fitting.
"He packed a universal travel adaptor before flying to Europe."
In electronics contexts, 'adapter' is often the preferred spelling in American technical writing.
A person who adapts a work, such as a book or play, for presentation in a different medium or form.
"The adaptor condensed the sprawling novel into a two-hour screenplay."
The plural follows regular English noun formation. When referring to multiple people who adapt works, the same plural applies.
"The hotel lobby had a drawer full of adaptors for guests from every continent."
The '-or' spelling of 'adaptor' is the British favorite — but both spellings describe the same little gadget that saves travelers from dead batteries worldwide.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of adaptor
Adaptor comes from the Latin verb 'adaptare', formed from 'ad-' (toward) and 'aptare' (to fit), meaning 'to adjust' or 'to make suitable'. The English noun emerged in the early nineteenth century alongside the growth of electrical and mechanical technology, when devices for joining incompatible fittings became widespread. It shares its root with related words such as 'adapt', 'adaptation', and 'adept', all ultimately tracing back to the Latin 'aptus', meaning 'fit' or 'suited'. The competing spelling 'adapter' arose from the same source and has since become the dominant form in American English.
Related word forms
How adaptor is actually used
'Adaptor' and 'adapter' are variant spellings of the same word with identical meanings. 'Adapter' is the dominant form in American English and increasingly standard elsewhere; 'adaptor' remains relatively more frequent in British English. In technical writing about electronics, either spelling appears, though 'adapter' is often preferred in American publications.
Easily confused with adaptor
Adapter and adaptor mean the same thing; 'adapter' is the more common spelling in American English, while 'adaptor' is somewhat more common in British English.