WordGarden.ioadapter
B1Pronunciation
UK
- /ədˈæptə/
US
- /əˈdæptər/
Meanings
Noun
a device that lets incompatible plugs, cables, or equipment connect or work together
a hardware or software interface that lets computer systems communicate or translate between formats
a person who rewrites or reworks a book, play, or other material for another form or medium
Beyond the definition
An adapter isn't about transforming the core of an object; it represents the bridge that allows two different things to work together. Think of a travel adapter—it doesn't change your phone charger, but it enables it to plug into a foreign outlet. Adapters solve the problem of incompatibility. You rely on them to connect old headphones to a new phone without a headphone jack, or to link a water hose to a spigot of a different size. It's the essential "middleman" that creates a link where one wouldn't normally exist.
An adapter is a device or mechanism that makes one thing fit, connect, or work properly with another. The core concept is overcoming incompatibility to establish a functional link. It can also refer to a person who adapts a work into a new form.
Most commonly, we encounter physical adapters in electronics: a USB-C dongle allows older devices to communicate with modern ports, and a power adapter creates a safe electrical bridge between a wall socket and a delicate device.
However, the word extends beyond hardware. In computer science, an "adapter" is a specific coding pattern that translates data so two distinct programs can interact. In the arts, someone can be an adapter—not usually in a social sense, but as a writer or musician who reshapes a story for a new medium, like turning a novel into a screenplay.
Whether it's a piece of plastic bridging electrical currents, software translating code, or a writer reimagining a book for the screen, an adapter is the tool that ensures different elements function together harmoniously.
Examples
- 1
Laptop charger
I forgot my laptop adapter, so I couldn't charge it at the cafe.
- 2
Travel
Bring a travel adapter if you're going to Japan.
- 3
Device connection
This USB-C adapter lets me connect the camera to my computer.
- 4
Old equipment
We had to buy an adapter to use the old monitor with the new laptop.
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Audio equipment
The headphones came with a small adapter for the larger audio jack.
See also
Similar
Shades of meaning
- converter
- dongle
Contrast
- integrated port
Do not confuse
Used with (collocations)
- power adapter
- plug adapter
- USB adapter
- wireless adapter
Word family
Explore
Forms and spellings
2 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- adapternoun
Forms
- adapterspluralnoun