The Electrical connector reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Apr-2004
(provided by Fixed Reference: snapshots of Wikipedia from wikipedia.org)

Electrical connector

For thoughtful child sponsors

An electrical connector is a device for joining electrical circuits together. In computing it can also be known as a physical interface.

See also plug, jack (connector).

Usually made up of a plug (male) and a socket (female), although hermaphroditic connectors exist, such as the original IBM Token Ring LAN connector.

Image:IBMtrconnector.jpg
IBM 4-conductor hermaphrodite connector for token-ring attachment
Image:IBMtrconnector detail.jpg
Detail of mating surfaces of hermaphrodite connector