this post was submitted on 08 Sep 2025
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No seriously, I always get blank stares when I ask people, I've called them wall chargers or power bricks, my friend called them plug chargers, my fiancee calls them dongles. What do you call these around your house, like when you're asking someone if they've seen any (______)'s

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[–] Leather@lemmy.world 8 points 1 day ago (2 children)

I generally think of these as "transformers", but I call it a power supply. Mostly folks look at me like a Labrador trying to do calculus, and say "You mean a power brick?"

[–] neomachino@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 points 1 day ago

Usually charger brick or just brick

[–] Adderbox76@lemmy.ca 8 points 1 day ago

Charging Blocks

[–] rmuk@feddit.uk 8 points 1 day ago (2 children)

If the transformer is in the same housing at the plug with a separate cable (as shown): wall wart.

If the DC cable is attached, it's a charger.

If it's housed in its own case, it's a power brick.

If there's no transformer it's a power lead, unless it's rated for over 10A, then it's a power cable.

Dongles are peripherals that are housed in the same casing as the host connector. Anyone who thinks they can power a device with a dongle is a dangerous sociopath.

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[–] synapse1278@lemmy.world 7 points 1 day ago (7 children)
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[–] SCmSTR@lemmy.blahaj.zone 7 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

USB A/C adapter, or just "ac adapter".

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[–] lightnsfw@reddthat.com 7 points 13 hours ago

USB Charger

[–] Duamerthrax@lemmy.world 7 points 1 day ago

USB chargers.

"Dongles" are wire to wire USB adapters for computers. Sound "cards", Ethernet adapters, video adapters.

[–] TheOakTree@lemmy.zip 7 points 18 hours ago

Charging brick.

Unless I'm describing it in a system, then it's a full bridge rectifier :)

[–] exocortex@discuss.tchncs.de 7 points 1 day ago

Wall wart or power brick.

[–] jordanlund@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago

"Wall Warts"

[–] Allero@lemmy.today 6 points 5 hours ago* (last edited 5 hours ago)

Adapter or charger. Rarely - power brick.

[–] TheMinions@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 1 day ago (2 children)
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[–] ghost_towels@sh.itjust.works 6 points 1 day ago
[–] bluesheep@sh.itjust.works 6 points 1 day ago

"Charger" (lader) in general and more specific "block" (blokje)

[–] Taleya@aussie.zone 6 points 16 hours ago

Usb wall charger

[–] SpaceCowboy@lemmy.ca 6 points 12 hours ago

YF-W36-2U

Though sometimes like to be more specific and say something like "hey can you grab the blue YF-W36-2U for me?"

[–] Deflated0ne@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago

Charge block.

[–] craftrabbit@lemmy.zip 6 points 1 day ago

Stromziegel

[–] normalexit@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago

USB charger or adapter

[–] lamlox@piefed.social 5 points 1 day ago

Power biscuit

Charging brick. Or, if an unmarked generic brand like the ones you've shown, Fire Hazard.

[–] A7thStone@lemmy.world 5 points 3 hours ago
[–] boaratio@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago

When I was in college, we called these wall warts.

[–] faythofdragons@slrpnk.net 5 points 19 hours ago

I usually call them "those, uh, usb thingies" while pantomiming plugging one into the wall

[–] AceFuzzLord@lemmy.zip 4 points 1 day ago

Charging brick. I don't think I've ever heard them called anything else besides a charger.

[–] svcg@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 6 hours ago

In England, we call those argy-bargy-cable-chargies.

[–] CandleTiger@programming.dev 4 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

My family calls them charging doots

Edit: or also sometimes “wall-to-usb adapters”

[–] JackbyDev@programming.dev 4 points 12 hours ago (2 children)

Power bricks or USB bricks. A dongle is an adapter, so it has some sort of thing on each side (besides a power plug lol).

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[–] Valmond@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago

Isn't it a mobile charger?

[–] Damage@feddit.it 4 points 1 day ago

USB charger

[–] GreenKnight23@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago
[–] anothermember@feddit.uk 4 points 1 day ago (2 children)

I'd call them USB adapters; "chargers" is probably slightly more common though never sat right with me since they can be used to power things other than charging.

Or more in the past we would call any kind of power adapters "transformers" but don't seem to hear that much any more.

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[–] resipsaloquitur@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago

Adapters for upgrading your home’s firmware.

USB wall adaptor

[–] bitjunkie@lemmy.world 3 points 22 hours ago
[–] stinky@redlemmy.com 3 points 21 hours ago

"wall block"

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