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port

port

76 5.0
A place on a computer where you plug in devices for power or data
  • noun
  • /pɔrt/
  • Specialized
translation icon : puerto
  • The laptop has multiple USB ports to connect devices like printers and external drives.
  • data port
  • serial port
  • parallel port

So it could be just a Lightning cable with a port for your headphone Jack.

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Examples

  • Right here you will find the micro USB port for both charging and syncing.

  • Oh, there's a ton of ports and an SD card slot.

  • We have a port in every room.

  • So it's good to have that so many ports on something so small.

  • Will the ports read an external drive?

  • You need to look around and you should see a sealed port.

  • At one end of the box are a series of ports for electrical connections.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • A USB port.

  • Through the USB port, the UTC-USB displays actual temperature readings on a PC.

    Academic text (2011)
  • There's also a USBC port and that's it.

Synonyms

interface
vsport
  • Specialized
52 4.4

A connector and parts that let two devices connect and send data

is a simple device connection point, not the broader connecting hardware and circuitry
socket
vsport
24 2.8

A place in a wall where you plug devices to get power

is a general connection point on electronic devices for transferring data or power
jack
vsport
13 5.6

A socket where you plug a cable to connect a device

is the connection point used for linking devices for data or power

Idioms

The first place you go to for help or information

8.1

Taking any help because the situation is bad even if it is not perfect

Compounds

port of entry
  • Formal
14 4.4

A place like an airport or seaport where officers check people and goods entering a country

6 3.4

A port where a ship stops during a journey away from home

home port
  • Specialized
3 4.1

A place where a ship is registered and based

free port
  • Specialized
1 4.1

A part of a port where businesses bring, store, and send goods without paying taxes

1 3.5

A sweet dark red wine from Portugal served with dessert

serial port
  • Specialized
1 3.7

A socket on a computer used to connect devices and send data one bit at a time

parallel port
  • Archaic
1 4.3

A socket on a computer that connects devices like printers and sends data across many wires

The capital city of Trinidad and Tobago on Trinidad's west coast

A 1894 fight between China and Japan in which Japanese forces captured Port Arthur's forts and harbour

A large evergreen tree from the Pacific coast with blue green leaves and strong wood

Wood from the Port Orford cedar tree that is light, strong, and has a nice smell

Port Jackson fig
  • Australian
8.7

A large Australian tree with wide branches and roots that hang down, often planted for shade

Port Jackson heath
  • Australian
9.9

A small shrub with pink to rosy purple tube-shaped flowers that grows in southern and western Australia

Port Jackson pine
  • Australian
9.9

An evergreen tree from eastern Australia with small round cones

A person who watches for suspicious activity at a dock or port

port watcher
  • Specialized
6.3

A program that watches network ports and reports open or suspicious connections

An operation on the heart using small cuts and cameras to bypass blocked arteries while a machine keeps blood moving

port-wine stain
  • Specialized
6.6

A flat pink or purple birthmark on the skin caused by too many small blood vessels

treaty port
  • Archaic
9.3

A port in China, Korea, or Japan opened to foreign trade by treaty in the 1800s and early 1900s

How Capable

controller
  • Specialized
74 3.8
interface
  • Specialized
52 4.4
adapter
29 3.5
connector
  • Specialized
37 3.7
port
  • Specialized
76 5.0

Surface Forms

port singular
ports plural

Etymology

Port A computer or device port is like a small harbour or gate for plugs and data, using the same idea as a real port where things connect and pass through, so a port lets other devices enter and exchange information.