Laptop

Laptop

Noun · /ˈlæp.tɒp/

Definition

A portable personal computer that is small and light enough to be used on one's lap; a notebook computer combining keyboard, screen, processor, battery, and storage in a single folding unit.

Origin

From lap (the flat area formed by the thighs when seated) + top (the upper surface). The compound laptop was coined in the early 1980s when portable computers became small enough to actually be used on the lap. The Osborne 1 (1981) and Epson HX-20 (1981) are among the earliest portables; the term laptop became standard from around 1983–1984.