Standard Lemma guide

adapter

noun · 9 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • ə-dăpʹtər
  • UK: /əˈdæptə(ɹ)/
  • US: /əˈdæptəɹ/
  • rhymes with -æptə(ɹ)
  • Canada: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: AH0 D AE1 P T ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

One who is capable of adapting to differing situations.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • He was an able adapter, and could easily adjust to the differences when the company changed ownership.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

One who adapts a thing, e.g. a play.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The critic gave rave reviews to the adapter of the ancient play, who worked to give the text more relevance to the modern day.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A device or application used to achieve operative compatibility between devices that otherwise are incompatible.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • He had an adapter that let him plug his phone into the car's cigarette lighter for power.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A device or application used to achieve operative compatibility between devices that otherwise are incompatible.

Specifically, a device that permits two or more plugs to be used at a single electrical power point.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The wall outlet sprouted an electrical monstrosity of adapters plugged into adapters that sparked ominously.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

A device or application used to achieve operative compatibility between devices that otherwise are incompatible.

Specifically, a device that allows one format of plug to be used with a different format of socket.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • We bought adapters to use our three-prong plugs in the two-prong, unpolarized outlets of the old house.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

A device or application used to achieve operative compatibility between devices that otherwise are incompatible.

Specifically, an AC adapter: a device that reduces voltage and converts AC to DC to allow a battery-powered device to use mains power.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • I lost my cellphone's adapter so I couldn't recharge it.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

A collection of low-rank matrices which, when added to a base model, produces a fine-tuned model; a LoRA.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Qualifier: machine learning; artificial intelligence; machine learning; artificial intelligence

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

device that enables something to be used in a way different from that for which it was intended or makes different pieces of apparatus compatible

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: adaptor

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: device

9

noun

Meaning 9

a musician who adapts a composition for particular voices or instruments or for another style of performance

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: arranger, transcriber

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: musician

Narrower terms: orchestrator

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h2éd Proto-Italic *ad Proto-Italic *ad- Latin ad- Proto-Italic *aptos Latin aptus Proto-Indo-European *-h2 Proto-Indo-European *-éh2 Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh2yéti Proto-Indo-European *-h2tiinflu. Proto-Italic *-ājō Proto-Italic *-āō Latin -ō Latin apiō Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Italic *-tos Latin -tus ▲ Latin -ō Latin -tō Latin aptō Latin adaptōder. Middle English *adapten English adapt Proto-Indo-European *-yósder. Proto-Italic *-āzios Latin -āriusnom. Latin -āriusbor. Proto-Germanic *-ārijaz Proto-West Germanic *-ārī Old English -ere Middle English -ere English -er English adapter From adapt + -er.

Across languages

Translations

124 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: sopeutuja — one who adapts well
  • Romanian: adaptor — one who adapts well
  • Catalan: adaptador — one who adapts something
  • Dutch: bewerker — one who adapts something
  • Dutch: bewerkster — one who adapts something
  • Finnish: sovittaja — one who adapts something
  • French: adaptateur — one who adapts something
  • Greek: προσαρμογέας (prosarmogéas) — one who adapts something
  • Polish: adaptator — one who adapts something
  • Polish: adaptatorka — one who adapts something
  • Portuguese: adaptador — one who adapts something
  • Spanish: adaptador — one who adapts something
  • Arabic: مُوَائِم (muwāʔim) — device to allow compatibility (in general)
  • Armenian: ադապտեր (adapter) — device to allow compatibility (in general)
  • Belarusian: ада́птар (adáptar) — device to allow compatibility (in general)
  • Belarusian: ада́птэр (adápter) — device to allow compatibility (in general)
  • Bulgarian: ада́птер (adápter) — device to allow compatibility (in general)
  • Bulgarian: прехо́ден дета́йл (prehóden detájl) — device to allow compatibility (in general)
  • Catalan: adaptador — device to allow compatibility (in general)
  • Chinese Mandarin: 適配器 /适配器 (shìpèiqì) — device to allow compatibility (in general)
  • Czech: adaptér — device to allow compatibility (in general)
  • Danish: adapter — device to allow compatibility (in general)
  • Dutch: adapter — device to allow compatibility (in general)
  • Esperanto: adaptilo — device to allow compatibility (in general)
  • Estonian: adapter — device to allow compatibility (in general)
  • Finnish: sovitin — device to allow compatibility (in general)
  • Finnish: adapteri — device to allow compatibility (in general)
  • French: adaptateur — device to allow compatibility (in general)
  • Georgian: გადამყვანი (gadamq̇vani) — device to allow compatibility (in general)
  • Georgian: ადაპტერი (adaṗṭeri) — device to allow compatibility (in general)
  • German: Adapter — device to allow compatibility (in general)
  • Greek: προσαρμοστής (prosarmostís) — device to allow compatibility (in general)
  • Greenlandic: sarfamut nuutsissut — device to allow compatibility (in general)
  • Hindi: अडाप्टर (aḍāpṭar) — device to allow compatibility (in general)
  • Hungarian: adapter — device to allow compatibility (in general)
  • Italian: adattatore — device to allow compatibility (in general)
  • Japanese: アダプタ (adaputa) — device to allow compatibility (in general)
  • Japanese: アダプター (adaputā) — device to allow compatibility (in general)
  • Khmer: អាដាប់ធ័រ (ʼaadapthɔə) — device to allow compatibility (in general)
  • Korean: 어댑터 (eodaepteo) — device to allow compatibility (in general)
  • Lao: ປັກສຽບໄຟ (pak sīap fai) — device to allow compatibility (in general)
  • Latvian: adapteris — device to allow compatibility (in general)
  • Lithuanian: adapteris — device to allow compatibility (in general)
  • Macedonian: ада́птер (adápter) — device to allow compatibility (in general)
  • Māori: pūwhāurutau — device to allow compatibility (in general)
  • Māori: pūurutau — device to allow compatibility (in general)
  • Norwegian Bokmål: adapter — device to allow compatibility (in general)
  • Persian: مبدل (mobaddal) — device to allow compatibility (in general)
  • Polish: adapter — device to allow compatibility (in general)
  • Portuguese: adaptador — device to allow compatibility (in general)
  • Romanian: adaptor — device to allow compatibility (in general)
  • Russian: ада́птер (adáptɛr) — device to allow compatibility (in general)
  • Serbo-Croatian: адаптер — device to allow compatibility (in general)
  • Serbo-Croatian: adapter — device to allow compatibility (in general)
  • Slovak: adaptér — device to allow compatibility (in general)
  • Slovene: adapter — device to allow compatibility (in general)
  • Spanish: adaptador — device to allow compatibility (in general)
  • Swedish: adapter — device to allow compatibility (in general)
  • Thai: ตัวปรับต่อ (dtuua-bpràp-dtɔ̀ɔ) — device to allow compatibility (in general)
  • Turkish: adaptör — device to allow compatibility (in general)
  • Ukrainian: ада́птер (adápter) — device to allow compatibility (in general)
  • Urdu: اڈاپٹر (aḍāpṭar) — device to allow compatibility (in general)
  • Yoruba: amúbádọ́gba — device to allow compatibility (in general)
  • Arabic: مُشْتَرَك كَهْرَبَائِيّ (muštarak kahrabāʔiyy) — device allowing more plugs at an outlet
  • Asturian: lladrón — device allowing more plugs at an outlet
  • Belarusian: перахадні́к (pjeraxadník) — device allowing more plugs at an outlet
  • Bulgarian: удължи́тел (udǎlžítel) — device allowing more plugs at an outlet
  • Bulgarian: разклони́тел (razklonítel) — device allowing more plugs at an outlet
  • Czech: rozbočka — device allowing more plugs at an outlet
  • Czech: rozdvojka — device allowing more plugs at an outlet
  • Dutch: verdeelstekker — device allowing more plugs at an outlet
  • Dutch: dominostekker — device allowing more plugs at an outlet
  • Dutch: driewegstekker — device allowing more plugs at an outlet
  • Esperanto: adaptilo — device allowing more plugs at an outlet
  • Finnish: haaroitin — device allowing more plugs at an outlet
  • Finnish: haaroituspistorasia — device allowing more plugs at an outlet
  • French: adaptateur — device allowing more plugs at an outlet
  • German: Steckdosenleiste — device allowing more plugs at an outlet
  • German: Steckerleiste — device allowing more plugs at an outlet
  • Polish: rozgałęźnik — device allowing more plugs at an outlet
  • Polish: przedłużacz — device allowing more plugs at an outlet
  • Polish: złodziejka — device allowing more plugs at an outlet
  • Portuguese: adaptador — device allowing more plugs at an outlet
  • Romanian: adaptor — device allowing more plugs at an outlet
  • Russian: переходни́к (perexodník) — device allowing more plugs at an outlet
  • Slovak: rozbočka — device allowing more plugs at an outlet
  • Slovak: rozdvojka — device allowing more plugs at an outlet
  • Spanish: adaptador — device allowing more plugs at an outlet
  • Spanish: ladrón — device allowing more plugs at an outlet
  • Spanish: regleta — device allowing more plugs at an outlet
  • Ukrainian: перехідни́к (perexidnýk) — device allowing more plugs at an outlet
  • Bulgarian: пре́ходник (préhodnik) — device allowing plug to fit in an outlet of different type
  • Bulgarian: приста́вка (pristávka) — device allowing plug to fit in an outlet of different type
  • Catalan: adaptador — device allowing plug to fit in an outlet of different type
  • Chinese Mandarin: 適配器 /适配器 (shìpèiqì) — device allowing plug to fit in an outlet of different type
  • Dutch: reisstekker — device allowing plug to fit in an outlet of different type
  • Dutch: verloopstekker — device allowing plug to fit in an outlet of different type
  • Dutch: wereldstekker — device allowing plug to fit in an outlet of different type
  • Esperanto: adaptilo — device allowing plug to fit in an outlet of different type
  • Estonian: adapter — device allowing plug to fit in an outlet of different type
  • Finnish: sovitin — device allowing plug to fit in an outlet of different type
  • Finnish: adapteri — device allowing plug to fit in an outlet of different type
  • French: adaptateur — device allowing plug to fit in an outlet of different type
  • German: Adapter — device allowing plug to fit in an outlet of different type
  • Greek: προσαρμοστής (prosarmostís) — device allowing plug to fit in an outlet of different type
  • Japanese: アダプター (adaputā) — device allowing plug to fit in an outlet of different type
  • Khmer: អាដាប់ធ័រ (ʼaadapthɔə) — device allowing plug to fit in an outlet of different type
  • Lao: ປັກສຽບໄຟ (pak sīap fai) — device allowing plug to fit in an outlet of different type
  • Polish: przejściówka — device allowing plug to fit in an outlet of different type
  • Polish: adapter — device allowing plug to fit in an outlet of different type
  • Portuguese: adaptador — device allowing plug to fit in an outlet of different type
  • Portuguese: T — device allowing plug to fit in an outlet of different type
  • Portuguese: benjamim — device allowing plug to fit in an outlet of different type
  • Romanian: adaptor — device allowing plug to fit in an outlet of different type
  • Russian: ада́птер (adáptɛr) — device allowing plug to fit in an outlet of different type
  • Russian: переходни́к (perexodník) — device allowing plug to fit in an outlet of different type
  • Spanish: adaptador — device allowing plug to fit in an outlet of different type
  • Turkish: adaptör — device allowing plug to fit in an outlet of different type
  • Turkish: priz adaptörü — device allowing plug to fit in an outlet of different type
  • Ukrainian: перехідни́к (perexidnýk) — device allowing plug to fit in an outlet of different type
  • Dutch: adapter — device that converts AC to DC for battery-powered gadgets
  • Finnish: verkkosovitin — device that converts AC to DC for battery-powered gadgets
  • Finnish: verkkoadapteri — device that converts AC to DC for battery-powered gadgets
  • Turkish: adaptör — device that converts AC to DC for battery-powered gadgets
Real reading context

adapter in complete knowledge articles

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