tablet

noun

tab·​let ˈta-blət 

1

a

: a flat slab or plaque suited for or bearing an inscription

b

: a thin slab or one of a set of portable sheets used for writing

c

: pad entry 1 sense 2

2

a

: a small mass of medicated material

an aspirin tablet

b

: a compressed or molded block of a solid material

3

a

or tablet computer : a mobile computing device that has a flat, rectangular form like that of a magazine or pad of paper, that is usually controlled by means of a touch screen, and that is typically used for accessing the Internet, watching videos, playing games, reading electronic books, etc.

b

: graphics tablet

Synonyms

• notepad
• pad

Examples of tablet in a Sentence

you'll need to use your writing tablet to record all the information that the real estate agent is likely to reel off

take two tablets of the medication every eight hours

Recent Examples on the Web

Chan, a mathematics student based in Australia at the time, said he was frustrated by the lack of a good handwriting app on the tablet. —Nicholas Gordon, Fortune Asia, 2 Nov. 2024

For every five plates finished, a short anime or game plays on the tablet screen at the table; and a prize is dispensed from a machine triggered by every 15th plate placed in a tableside disposal slot. —Cheryl V. Jackson, The Indianapolis Star, 2 Nov. 2024

Amazon is currently offering a lightning deal on the OnePlus Pad, which drops the first-gen Android tablet to an all-time low of $340 ($140 off) for a limited time. —Brandon Widder, The Verge, 1 Nov. 2024

Readers are increasingly consuming news via smartphones and tablets, prompting newspapers to innovate in their content delivery methods. —Nina Turner, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English tablett, from Anglo-French tablet, diminutive of table table

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing tablet

• digitizing tablet
• graphics tablet

Kids Definition

tablet

noun

tab·​let ˈtab-lət 

1

a

: a flat slab suited for an inscription

b

: pad entry 2 sense 4

2

a

: a compressed or molded block of a solid material

b

: a small usually round mass of material containing medicine

aspirin tablet

3

a

: graphics tablet

b

or tablet computer : a mobile computing device that has a flat rectangular form, is usually controlled by means of a touch screen, and is typically used for accessing the Internet, watching videos, and reading e-books

Medical Definition

tablet

noun

tab·​let ˈtab-lət 

: a small mass of medicated material (as in the shape of a disk)

an aspirin tablet