plug-and-play
|plug-and-play|
/ˌplʌɡ ən ˈpleɪ/
ready to use immediately
Etymology
'plug-and-play' originates from English, specifically a compound of the verbs 'plug' and 'play', where 'plug' referred to inserting a connector and 'play' referred to starting operation.
'plug-and-play' developed from the simple phrase 'plug and play' used in electronics and computing in the late 20th century (popularized in personal computing in the 1990s) and later became commonly hyphenated when used as an adjective.
Initially it described the literal action 'plug (in) and play (start)', but over time it evolved into a broader meaning of 'ready to use immediately' for hardware, software, and even metaphorical uses.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a feature or device that is plug-and-play; the capability of being immediately usable when connected.
Plug-and-play is a major advantage for users who are not tech-savvy.
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Adjective 1
ready to use immediately after being connected, without manual configuration or complex setup (often used of hardware or software).
The new webcam is plug-and-play — just connect it to your computer and it works.
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Last updated: 2025/12/01 11:05