plug
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plug
The end piece of an electrical cable with metal pins that is inserted into an outlet in order to supply a device with electricity.
Der Stecker vom Laptop passt nicht in diese Steckdose im Zug.
The plug for the laptop doesn't fit into this outlet on the train.
The noun 'der Stecker' (the plug) is derived from the verb 'stecken' (to stick / to put). So the plug is the part that you put into an outlet to connect a device.
Kannst du bitte den Stecker des Fernsehers in die Steckdose stecken?
Can you please put the TV plug into the outlet?
The two most important actions in connection with a plug are 'den Stecker ziehen' (to pull the plug, disconnect) and 'den Stecker (rein)stecken' (to plug in, connect).
Zieh bitte den Stecker, bevor du das Gerät reinigst.
Please pull the plug before you clean the device.
The idiom 'den Stecker ziehen' means to abruptly end a project, funding, or support. It is used figuratively.
Die Firma war nicht mehr profitabel, also haben die Investoren den Stecker gezogen.
The company was no longer profitable, so the investors pulled the plug.
You can tell from context whether 'den Stecker ziehen' (to pull the plug) is meant literally or figuratively. If it is about an electrical device, it is literal. If it is about a project, a company, or money, it is the idiom.
Der Akku ist voll, du kannst den Stecker ziehen.
The battery is full; you can pull the plug.
connection
'der Anschluss' and 'der Stecker' both have to do with electrical or technical connections. 'der Anschluss' refers to the connection to a network, for example electricity, internet, or telephone. 'der Stecker', on the other hand, is the concrete part on the cable that you plug into the socket. Learners may confuse the words because both appear when connecting a device. In practical terms: the Stecker is an object, while the Anschluss is the connection or the possibility of making a connection.
Der Stecker der Lampe passt nicht in diese Steckdose.
The lamp's plug does not fit into this socket.
In der neuen Wohnung funktioniert der Internetanschluss noch nicht.
The internet connection in the new apartment is not working yet.