- a hardware device, paired with a licensed copy of a software program, that must be plugged into a computer to authorize every use of the software: an antipiracy dongle.
- a device that can be plugged into a hardware port on a computer, television, or other electronic device, to enable access when connecting devices to peripherals, to the internet, or to each other: a USB dongle for wireless internet access;an HDMI dongle with television apps;a display port dongle to connect the laptop to the projector.
- an electronic device that accompanies a software item to prevent the unauthorized copying of programs
