plug-in

1 of 3

adjective

: designed to be connected to an electric circuit by plugging in
a plug-in toy
a plug-in circuit board

plug-in

2 of 3

noun

1
: something that plugs in
2
: a small piece of software that supplements a larger program (such as a browser)

plug in

3 of 3

verb

plugged in; plugging in; plugs in

intransitive verb

: to establish an electric circuit by inserting a plug

transitive verb

: to attach or connect to an electric receptacle (such as an outlet)

Examples of plug-in in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
His first, Fisker Automotive, produced a plug-in hybrid luxury car called the Fisker Karma. Samantha Delouya, CNN, 13 Mar. 2024 Still, of the six best-scoring vehicles this year, four are battery-electric vehicles and two are plug-in hybrids. Owen Bellwood / Jalopnik, Quartz, 13 Mar. 2024 This suspension takes advantage of the onboard high-voltage system in the plug-in hybrids to power four pumps, one per corner, which can almost immediately alter the suspension at every corner—on the fly. Tim Stevens, Robb Report, 13 Mar. 2024 The combination allows the Prius to go 50 or more miles on a gallon of gas, and a plug-in hybrid model can make short trips without using any gasoline. Neal E. Boudette, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2024 Below 60°’s sleek plug-in fragrance diffusers have three scent settings (high, standard, and off), and the fragrance refill cartridges each last up to 30 days. Lauren Phillips, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Mar. 2024 Rivian currently makes two consumer plug-in EVs, the R1T pickup and R1S SUV, and a commercial van primarily for Amazon.com Inc., its biggest shareholder. Edward Ludlow, Fortune, 7 Mar. 2024 The Atlantic magazine uses an AI narration plug-in, as does inewsource, a San Diego investigative news outlet. Roxana Popescu, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2024 Lincoln sells a plug-in hybrid version of the compact Corsair SUV. Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press, 6 Mar. 2024
Noun
Enlarge Ars Technica AutoPacific broke the data out into those looking for internal combustion engine vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, or battery EVs. Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 24 Mar. 2023 Witricity has previously conducted a couple pilots with BMW on the 5 series plug-in hybrid in Europe and California using its WPT. Sam Abuelsamid, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2023 However, OpenAI’s plug-in doesn’t just retrieve real-time information. Mitchell Clark, The Verge, 23 Mar. 2023 The 330e plug-in hybrid combines a turbo 2.0-liter engine with an electric motor that together generate 288 horses and 310 pound-feet. Eric Stafford, Car and Driver, 22 Mar. 2023 With a simple plug-in to the iPhone’s charging port, the Backbone One turns a phone into a responsive gaming machine. Tyler Lynch, Popular Mechanics, 22 Mar. 2023 Early adopters are putting GPT-4 up to all sorts of colorful tests, from asking it how to make money to asking it to code a browser plug-in that makes websites speak Pirate. Geoffrey A. Fowler, Washington Post, 18 Mar. 2023 Since the end of 2018, the state has offered two cash rebates for Oregon drivers who buy or lease electric vehicles or plug-in hybrids under $50,000. Gwozniac, oregonlive, 15 Mar. 2023 The law gives qualifying vehicle buyers as much as $7,500 tax credit for the purchase of a new electric vehicle (EV) or plug-in hybrid and up to $4,000 for a used one. Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, 13 Mar. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'plug-in.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1922, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1946, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1903, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of plug-in was in 1903

Dictionary Entries Near plug-in

Cite this Entry

“Plug-in.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plug-in. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

plug-in

1 of 2 noun
ˈpləg-ˌin
: software that adds to the capabilities of a larger program (as a browser)

plug in

2 of 2 verb
: to establish an electric circuit by inserting a plug

More from Merriam-Webster on plug-in

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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