Look up: dongle

1. 
   Dongle
   Originally, the term 'dongle' was applied to any external attachment to a PC or one of its components. It seems to have originated in the UK and may have been coined to describe something which 'dangled', or hung, from the back of a machine.
   Found on http://www.meko.co.uk/dongle.shtml
   
   
2. 
   dongle
   [n] - (computer science) an electronic device that must be attached to a computer in order for it to use protected software
   Found on http://www.webdictionary.co.uk/definitio
   
   
3. 
   Dongle
   A software protection device connected between the computer and printer. Also known as a Software Protection Key.
   Found on http://www.oak.co.uk/Support_Glossary.ph
   
   
4. 
   Dongle
   this is a small electronic circuit, usually held in a plastic connector block, that goes on the parallel port of a computer - it forms an electronic 'key' that allows you to use a particular application (such as Impression or ArtWorks) - the application checks every now and then to see if a dongle is present and, if not, it shuts itself down and wi...
   Found on http://www.archivemag.co.uk/
   
   
5. 
   dongle
   (hardware) /dong'gl/ (From 'dangle' - because it dangles off the computer?) 1. (security) A security or copy protection device for commercial microcomputer programs that must be connected to an I/O port of the computer while the program is run. Programs that use a dongle query the port at start-up and at programmed intervals thereafter, and termina...
   Found on http://foldoc.org/
   
   
6. 
   dongle
   noun (computer science) an electronic device that must be attached to a computer in order for it to use protected software
   Found on http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?
   
   
7. 
   Dongle
   A `dongle` is a small hardware device that connects to a computer to authenticate a piece of software. When the dongle is not present, the software runs in a restricted mode or refuses to run. Dongles are used by some proprietary vendors as a form of copy prevention or digital rights management because it is much harder to copy the dongle than to copy the software it authenticates. Vendors of software protection dongles (and dongle-controlled sof...
   Found on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dongle