drop-down menu
Definition
- Noun:
- A menu of options that appears below an item when a computer user clicks on it: A graphical user interface (GUI) element that displays a list of choices, which is hidden until the user interacts with a specific button, icon, or text field, causing it to "drop down" or appear.
Examples of Usage
- Noun:
- To change the font, click on the format tab and select your choice from the drop-down menu.
- The drop-down menu for country selection contained over 200 options.
- A context-sensitive drop-down menu appeared when I right-clicked on the file.
Advanced Usage
"Cascading drop-down menu": A more complex menu where selecting an item from one drop-down list triggers the appearance of a secondary, related drop-down menu.
- The website uses cascading drop-down menus for selecting first a car make and then a specific model.
"To populate a drop-down menu": To fill a drop-down list with data or options, often dynamically from a database.
- The form will populate the city drop-down menu based on the country you select.
Variants and Related Words
Pull-down menu (n): A synonym for "drop-down menu," though sometimes used interchangeably.
- The terms "drop-down menu" and "pull-down menu" often refer to the same interface element.
Combo box (n): A GUI control that combines a drop-down list with a text box where users can also type an entry.
- Use the combo box to either select a preset value or type your own.
Synonyms
- Pull-down list: A list of options that appears when activated.
- Dropdown list: A common alternative spelling and term.
Related Phrases
Drop-down list: Often used synonymously with "drop-down menu," though a "list" may imply a simpler selection without submenus.
- The field was a simple drop-down list of three options.
To expand/collapse a drop-down menu: To open (expand) or close (collapse) the list of options.
- Click the arrow to expand the drop-down menu and view all categories.
Noun
-
a menu of options that appears below the item when the computer user clicks on it
