Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A hardware device that renders inoperable certain software on a computer if the device is not attached to the computer.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun computer hardware Any small device which plugs into an electronic device, typically a computer, and alters its functionality. Common examples include wireless modems, software copy protect devices, and adapters. Some USB keyboards and mice include USB to PS/2 adapter dongles, enabling their use on machines with PS/2 ports.
- noun computer hardware A hardware device utilized by a specific application for purposes of
copy protection .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun (computer science) an electronic device that must be attached to a computer in order for it to use protected software
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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The iPod dongle is attached to a special serial board that can translate the signal from the dongle.
Turn A Nike+ Sensor Into A Keyless Car Entry System | Lifehacker Australia 2009
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As these statements suggest, a dongle is just an adapter you plug into the USB port on a TV, Blu-ray player, or home-theater system that allows it to connect wirelessly to your home network.
Tech Talk: Dongle 2010
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Curious about this rather odd term, I checked out Merriam-Webster's online dictionary, which tracks the first use of the word dongle to 1981, defining it as "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."
Tech Talk: Dongle 2010
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| Reply you got it wrong … the USB dongle is for people that dont have wireless routers already, and can just plug that dongle into their PC, which will shoot the wireless to the console wirelessly.
EXTRALIFE – By Scott Johnson - A nice breakdown of all Wii know 2006
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Curious about this rather odd term, I checked out Merriam-Webster's online dictionary, which tracks the first use of the word dongle to 1981, defining it as "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."
Tech Talk: Dongle 2010
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A dongle is a piece of hardware that plugs into a computer and verifies that you did in fact purchase this five thousand dollar software package.
Kludge Proof kludge 2010
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A dongle is a piece of hardware that plugs into a computer and verifies that you did in fact purchase this five thousand dollar software package.
Archive 2010-03-01 kludge 2010
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(As an alternative, you can connect a non-carrier netbook to 3G by using a so-called dongle that plugs into, and dangles from, a USB port.)
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As an alternative, you can connect a non-carrier netbook to 3G by using a so-called dongle that plugs into, and dangles from, a USB port.
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The dongle is a HUAWEI Technology usb modem, Vendor number 12d1, product id 1520.
Fedora People Peter Hutterer 2010
plutoman commented on the word dongle
A couple of weeks ago in a meeting I had to explain the meaning of this word to the whole marketing department. I think I got as far as "it's a device..."
July 26, 2009
russwood commented on the word dongle
The first use of the word dongle that I can find is in the influential BBC radio show The Goons dating back to January 24th 1956
In the episode The Jet Propelled NAAFI (series 6 Episode 19) the character Seagoon says
"Great larrups of dongle. He thinks he's a little tea-stained, crumpet-ridden idiot."
Also in December 1957. The episode Vanishing Room contains the line
"Flip my dongle and lower my grobblers"
The word was also used in one of the early Monty Python episodes.
May 1, 2011
alexz commented on the word dongle
New Scientist 1 Oct 1981
http://books.google.ca/books?id=EIZI3TDTGTsC&pg=PA24&dq=dongle&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Qv32UZueN-KWiAKRiIGIDg&ved=0CFgQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=dongle&f=false
July 30, 2013