stecker

Stecker is a German noun that denotes a device designed to be inserted into another object to establish a connection, most often an electrical plug. In everyday German, der Stecker refers to the plug attached to a power cord, while the corresponding fixed receptacle is called die Steckdose or die Buchse. The terms are used in the context of plug-and-socket systems, with Stecker paired with Steckdose or Buchse to describe male connectors and their female counterparts.

Etymologically, Stecker comes from the verb stecken, meaning to insert or to pin, with the agentive suffix -er forming a noun for the object that performs the action. The word is widely used in technical and consumer-electronics language in German-speaking regions. Common types mentioned in German discourse include Schuko-Stecker (Schutzkontaktstecker) and the two-pin Eurostecker (Type C), among others used for mains power. The corresponding receptacles are referred to as Schukosteckdose or Netzsteckdose, depending on the standard, with variations across countries and standards.

Beyond electrical applications, Stecker can be used more generally for any plug or connector that inserts into another part, and in some contexts may appear in compound terms describing specific connector families or standards. In onomastics, Stecker is also a surname of German origin, found in historical and contemporary records. In English-language writing, Stecker typically appears only as a loanword when German terminology for connectors is discussed; otherwise, plug or connector are the common terms. See also Steckdose, Buchse, and related connector terminology.