What does dongle mean?
A dongle is a small piece of hardware that plugs into a computer or similar device, usually through a USB or other port, to add a capability the machine lacks. In modern usage the word most often refers to compact adapters — for example, one that adds Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connectivity, converts between USB-C and older connectors, or enables mobile broadband. Historically, 'dongle' also denoted a hardware security key that had to be physically attached before certain licensed software would run, a sense still encountered in professional software environments. The word is informal but thoroughly established in everyday speech; writers aiming at a formal register may prefer terms like 'adapter'. Its charm lies partly in its playful sound and partly in its genuinely obscure origin — it surfaced in computing jargon during the 1970s without any clearly documented etymology, making 'dongle' one of those rare common words whose history no one can quite pin down.
nounA small hardware device that plugs into a computer or other electronic device, typically to provide a function such as wireless connectivity, additional ports, or copy protection.
- A small adapter or peripheral device that plugs into a computer's port to add a capability such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or extra connectors.
- (Historical/computing) A hardware security key plugged into a port to authorize use of protected software.
"The laptop only has USB-C ports, so she carries a dongle to connect her older accessories."
"He bought a Wi-Fi dongle so his desktop could get online without an Ethernet cable."
"In the 1990s, design software often refused to run unless its protection dongle was attached to the parallel port."
Regular plural; standard in both British and American English.
"The conference swag bag was full of charging cables and dongles."
Nobody knows where the word 'dongle' actually came from — it just appeared in computing jargon in the 1970s and stuck.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of dongle
The origin of 'dongle' is uncertain. It emerged in English computing slang in the 1970s, and its earliest documented uses are associated with engineers working on software-protection devices. One commonly cited suggestion links it to 'dangle' — perhaps reinforced by the name of a person involved in early designs — but no derivation has been conclusively established, so dictionaries generally label the etymology obscure.
How dongle is actually used
Informal but widely accepted in everyday tech speech; in formal technical writing, 'adapter' or 'wireless adapter' is often preferred. The term has broadened over time from software-protection keys to almost any small plug-in gadget, which some engineers consider imprecise.
Easily confused with dongle
To dangle is a verb meaning to hang or swing loosely, whereas a dongle is a small hardware accessory that plugs into a device.