mouse potato

UK/ˈmaʊs pəˈteɪ.təʊ/US/maʊs pəʊ.teɪ.təʊ/

noun

A person who spends excessive amounts of time using a computer.

Meanings

nounmouse potato (plural mouse potatoes)

plural mouse potatoes

  1. slangA person who spends excessive amounts of time using a computer.

    The internet, the authors say, affords the average mouse-potato the opportunity to experience a Naipaul-esque enigma of arrival in far-away lands without ever leaving the shores of Trinidad.

    2001 December 7, Aniruddho Sanyal, “The Trini Trinity Is Found On De Line”, in The Times Higher Education Supplement
    1 more example

    Lady Miss Kier is a mouse potato. 'I wake up, I go and turn the computer on before I wash my face or brush my teeth. I'll be sitting there in my underwear, and before I know it, four hours have passed. Then I pick up the phone, push some more buttons and the food delivery arrives, and then 16 hours have passed in front of the computer. It leaves you completely drained.'

    1994 July 14, Ruth Shurman, “Me and my Gizmo: No. 8”, in The Guardian

Origin

Blend of mouse + couch potato; "mouse" referring to the device linked to computers.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

German PC-Hocker, PC-Narr
  • PC-HockerA person who spends excessive amounts of time using a computer
  • PC-NarrA person who spends excessive amounts of time using a computer
Polish osoba uzależniona od komputera
  • osoba uzależniona od komputeraA person who spends excessive amounts of time using a computer
Cite this entry
APA

mouse potato. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mouse%20potato

MLA

“mouse potato.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mouse%20potato. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “mouse potato,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mouse%20potato.

Source: mouse potato on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.