toolbar

toolbar — noun

1. a collection of small clickable symbols, usually shown as a horizontal strip nea

1.nounB1
Definition

a collection of small clickable symbols, usually shown as a horizontal strip near the top of a computer program's window, providing one-click access to commonly used commands or settings.

Example

Samir clicked the save icon on the toolbar before closing the document.

collocation: click [icon] on the toolbar

The formatting toolbar at the top lets you change font size and colour.

noun + location: toolbar at the top of the screen

Common collocations
  • click on the toolbar
  • show the toolbar
  • hide the toolbar
  • customize the toolbar
  • toolbar button
  • toolbar icon
Synonyms
  • ribbon

    a newer interface that groups commands into tabs; replaces both toolbar and menu bar in some programs and is more visually detailed

Grammar Patterns

the + toolbar

a + toolbar + of + icons

on + the + toolbar

Usage Note

Commonly used with the preposition 'on' to indicate location (on the toolbar). To show or hide the toolbar, use the verbs 'show' and 'hide' — for example, show the toolbar or hide the toolbar from the View menu.

Common Mistakes

Click the tool bar to save.
Click the toolbar to save.
In modern computing, 'toolbar' is written as one word, not two.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Toolbar, ribbon, menu bar, and taskbar are all on-screen interface elements, but they serve different purposes. A toolbar is a row of icon buttons offering one-click access to frequently used commands. A ribbon, made popular by Microsoft Office, organises commands into labelled tabs that expand to show more options than a simple toolbar. A menu bar displays drop-down text menus (File, Edit, View) and is usually the topmost row of a program window. A taskbar sits at the bottom of the desktop and shows open applications, the Start menu, and the system clock. For quick tasks, click a printer icon on the toolbar. For detailed settings, open the File menu on the menu bar. The ribbon replaces both in some modern programs, while the taskbar remains separate as part of the operating system.

toolbar ↗ribbon ↗menu bartaskbar

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • toolbar button
  • toolbar icon
  • formatting toolbar
  • toolbar at the top
  • toolbar on the screen

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishOld FrenchEnglish

'Toolbar' is a compound noun formed from 'tool' (from Old English 'tōl', meaning an implement or device) and 'bar' (from Old French 'barre', meaning a rod or strip). The term entered computing language in the 1980s alongside graphical user interfaces, where rows of small icon buttons were placed across the top of application windows, resembling a horizontal bar of tools.