adapter vs adjunct

adapter

noun
  • One who is capable of adapting to differing situations. 

  • One who adapts a thing, e.g. a play. 

  • Specifically, a device that allows one format of plug to be used with a different format of socket. 

  • Specifically, an AC adapter: a device that reduces voltage and converts AC to DC to allow a battery-powered device to use mains power. 

  • A device or application used to achieve operative compatibility between devices that otherwise are incompatible. 

  • Specifically, a device that permits two, three, or more plugs to be used at a single electrical power point. 

adjunct

noun
  • A person associated with another, usually in a subordinate position; a colleague. 

  • An unmalted grain or grain product that supplements the main mash ingredient. 

  • A dispensable phrase in a clause or sentence that modifies its meaning. 

  • A constituent which is both the daughter and the sister of an X-bar. 

  • Symploce. 

  • One of a pair of morphisms which relate to each other through a pair of adjoint functors. 

  • A key or scale closely related to another as principal; a relative or attendant key. 

  • An appendage; something attached to something else in a subordinate capacity. 

adj
  • Added to a faculty or staff in a secondary position. 

  • Connected in a subordinate function. 

How often have the words adapter and adjunct occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )