tablet
B1Neutral (used in formal and informal contexts)
Definition
Meaning
A small, portable, flat device with a touchscreen for computing; or a small solid dose of medicine.
A slab or panel, especially one with an inscription; a portable, handheld computer; a flat compressed piece of a substance (e.g., soap, clay); a set of pages bound like a book; a dose of medicine in solid form.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primary contemporary meaning is the electronic device. The 'medicine' meaning is also very frequent. Other meanings (writing tablet, slab) are more specialized or historical.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In UK, 'tablet' can refer to a type of hard, crumbly sweet made from sugar, butter, and condensed milk (similar to fudge). This meaning is very rare in US English.
Connotations
Identical for electronic and medicinal meanings.
Frequency
The electronic device meaning is dominant in both dialects. The medicinal meaning is equally common.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
take a tablet [for something]use a tablet [to do something]write something on a tabletprescribe someone a tabletVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “take it in tablet form”
- “etched in stone tablets”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
We'll issue all field staff with a tablet for real-time data entry.
Academic
The cuneiform tablet provides insights into ancient Mesopotamian law.
Everyday
Can you pass me my tablet? I want to check the weather.
Technical
The active ingredient is compressed into a 500mg scored tablet.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The pharmacist will tablet the compound mixture.
American English
- The machine tablets the powder into precise doses.
adverb
British English
- (Not typically used as an adverb)
American English
- (Not typically used as an adverb)
adjective
British English
- She prefers a tablet-based reading experience.
American English
- Tablet computing has revolutionized fieldwork.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I use my tablet to watch films.
- Take one tablet with water.
- The doctor prescribed two tablets a day for a week.
- My new tablet has a much better screen than my old one.
- Archaeologists discovered clay tablets inscribed with ancient laws.
- The software is optimized for both mobile phones and tablets.
- The dissolvable tablet formulation increases the bioavailability of the drug.
- He made detailed sketches directly onto his graphics tablet.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a TABLET as something you can hold flat in your hand, like a TABle top.
Conceptual Metaphor
KNOWLEDGE/INFORMATION IS AN OBJECT (stored on a tablet); MEDICINE IS AN OBJECT (consumed as a tablet).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'таблетка' which is only the medicine. The electronic device is 'планшет' or 'планшетный компьютер' in Russian.
- Avoid translating 'writing tablet' (a slab for writing) as 'таблетка'.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'pill' for all medicine tablets ('pill' is less formal and often refers specifically to round ones).
- Using 'tablet' for a laptop computer (a tablet typically lacks a physical keyboard).
Practice
Quiz
In which context would 'tablet' NOT typically refer to an electronic device?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, 'tablet' has several meanings. While the electronic device is now very common, 'tablet' also means a dose of medicine, a slab of stone (e.g., the Ten Commandments), and in Scotland/UK, a type of sweet.
'Pill' is a more general, often informal term for solid medicine. 'Tablet' is more formal and specific, referring to a compressed powder form. All tablets are pills, but not all pills (e.g., capsules, gel caps) are tablets.
Yes, but it's highly technical and rare. In pharmacology, 'to tablet' means to compress a powder into tablet form.
In everyday language, yes, but technically 'iPad' is a brand name for Apple's tablet computers. Other brands make tablets (e.g., Samsung Galaxy Tab).