portable

English

Etymology

From French portable.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈpɔː(ɹ)təbəl/, /ˈpɔː(ɹ)təbl̩/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈpɔɹtəbəl/, /ˈpɔɹtəbl̩/, [ˈpʰɔɹɾɪ̈bl̩]
• Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)təbəl
• Hyphenation: por‧ta‧ble

Adjective

portable (comparative more portable, superlative most portable)

1. Able to be carried or easily moved.
2. (computing) Of software, able to be run on multiple hardware or operating systems.

Translations

able to be carried or moved

• Armenian: շարժական (hy) (šaržakan)
• Asturian: portátil
• Catalan: portàtil, portable (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 輕便的, 轻便的 (qīngbiàn de)

• Czech: přenosný m
• Danish: bærbar
• Dutch: draagbaar (nl)
• Esperanto: portebla
• Finnish: kannettava (fi), matka-, siirrettävä
• French: portable (fr), portatif (fr)
• Galician: portátil

• German: portabel (de), tragbar (de)
• Greek: φορητός (el) (foritós)
• Italian: portatile (it)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: bærbar, flyttbar, portabel

  Nynorsk: flyttbar, portabel

• Polish: przenośny (pl) m
• Portuguese: portátil (pt), portável
• Russian: переносно́й (ru) (perenosnój), портати́вный (ru) (portatívnyj)
• Serbo-Croatian: nosivo (sh), nosiv (sh)
• Spanish: portátil (es)
• Welsh: cludadwy (cy)

running on multiple systems

• Finnish: siirrettävä
• German: portabel (de)
• Norwegian: portabel

• Polish: przenośny (pl) m
• Portuguese: portável
• Spanish: portable

Derived terms

Derived terms

• hand-portable
• man-portable

• portability
• portableness

See also

• hand-held
• transportable

Noun

portable (plural portables)

1. A portable building used for temporary purposes, particularly:
   1. Short for portable toilet.
   2. A trailer or other portable structure used for classes at a school.
2. (computing) Short for portable computer.
   • 1985, New Accountant (volumes 1-3, page lxvii)

     A few portables, particularly the small laphelds, go one step further and come with software built into the computer.

3. (video games) A hand-held video gaming device.

Synonyms

• (facility for urination and defecation): See Wikisaurus:bathroom

Translations

A portable toilet; a self-contained outhouse

• Finnish: bajamaja (fi)

• Norwegian: bæsj-and-carry m

Any temporary building that is portable, especially one located at a school

• Norwegian: brakke c

A hand-held electronic gaming device

---

French

Etymology

From Latin portabilis, from portare or porter + -able.

Adjective

portable m, f (plural portables)

1. portable

Related terms

• portatif

Noun

La fonction principale des portables (1) est de téléphoner.

Travail sur un portable. (2)

portable m (plural portables)

1. a cell phone
2. a laptop

Synonyms

• (cell phone): mobile m, téléphone portable m
• (laptop): ordinateur portable m

Further reading

• “portable” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).