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

The iPad Air was sitting further back in the hardware stakes, with 2022's Apple Silicon M2 at the heart of the tablet. —Ewan Spence, Forbes, 9 Mar. 2025

Anyone can download the app onto a personal device or check out a Shawnee Town tablet. —Beth Lipoff, Kansas City Star, 5 Mar. 2025

Apple hasn't made any radical changes with its new iPad and iPad Air, but both tablets benefit from faster processors and other small perks. —PCMAG, 5 Mar. 2025

The president was on his balcony, smoking a cigarette and reading the tablet, when Trent, wearing the excavation uniform, snuck up and hit him with a heavy drill bit from the library’s display case; Cal dropped the tablet in the hedges below. —Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 4 Mar. 2025

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