Definition: Thunderbolt is a standard type of connection that might be used by any number of different kinds of devices. Generally, it refers to the types of cables, ports, and connectors used to connect Thunderbolt devices to computers.
Thunderbolt is considered a potential replacement for USB, FireWire, PCIe, SCSI, SATA, and other forms of data transfer methods. Considering the potential applications of Thunderbolt, it could eventually reduce the types of connections available in computer devices.
Thunderbolt supports a data rate of 10 Gbit/s in both directions.
The first consumer device that utilized Thunderbolt was a MacBook Pro, released by Apple in early 2011.
Also Known As: Light Peak
Examples:
"My new 5 TB external hard drive I just bought was designed to work with Thunderbolt, which was great because I plan to transfer a lot of very large HD movies to it."
