# clipboard

/ˈkɫɪpˌbɔɹd/ (US) · /klˈɪpbɔːd/ (UK) · CEFR B1 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/clipboard
Updated: 2026-05-19

## Definition

a small area on your computer screen where you can copy and move text or images. It acts like a temporary holding place for things you want to move to another spot.

For teachers: a temporary storage area in a computer's memory used to hold data that has been cut or copied. It facilitates the transfer of data between different applications or locations within the same application.

## Examples

- I copied the text to the clipboard so I could paste it later.
- After selecting the paragraph, she right-clicked to copy the text to the clipboard before opening the new document.
- Modern operating systems utilize a sophisticated clipboard manager that allows users to maintain a history of their most recent copied items, significantly improving efficiency during complex data entry tasks.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.