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Sometimes, we see on sites a type of small window of which we to choose between some choices. It can be between male/female, or more choices in case of title: Ms. Mrs. Dr. Prof. etc. What is called?

I want to refer to it, and I don't know how to do it.

"Do you see the small window (?) bellow for the title? Great. Now open it and choice the title you want us to address to you".

See the attached example:

enter image description here

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  • The word "bellow" often refers to the oud deep sound a bull makes. It also means to shout a short message or warning. Instead the adverb is spelled with one L (below). The word "choice" is a noun, the verb form is different "I/you/we/they choose" "he/she/it chooses"
    – Mari-Lou A
    Commented Nov 28, 2021 at 8:10
  • Do you see ..... below for the title? Great. Now open it and choose which title you'd prefer us to address you with.
    – Mari-Lou A
    Commented Nov 28, 2021 at 8:16

3 Answers 3

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It's called a drop-down menu.

From Cambridge, a drop-down menu is a list of choices on a computer screen that is hidden until you choose to look at it.

"Do you see the drop-down menu for the title? Great. Now open (or click) it and choose/select the title you want us to address you with".

There are other variations of this, for example, a drop-down list. This variation seems to be used more commonly than other options. See this Ngram.

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    Sorry, but this example is NOT a drop-down-menu. They do exist, but this is actually a drop-down-list, or a combo-box. A drop-down-menu refers to a list of 'action items' such as hyperlinks. Cambridge's definition is good, but doesn't really reflect current industry usage.
    – MikeB
    Commented Dec 9, 2019 at 12:15
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    @MikeBrockington Can you provide me a source that gives that definition (= A drop-down-menu refers to a list of 'action items' such as hyperlinks)? And then another that says an example such as OP's is not called a drop-down menu? If you go to the Wiki link in my answer for "drop-down list", you will see that Wiki acknowledges it is also called a drop-down menu. You talk about current industry usage - that is not a valid argument. This is about basic, common, acceptable English. What industry are we talking about? Even industry usage varies (regions, countries, etc).
    – AIQ
    Commented Dec 9, 2019 at 18:20
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    That is a common terminology, and I believe it has nothing to do with any specific industry. Here are more sources: Drop-down menu and Drop Down Menu. Btw, I did mention in my answer (along with a link to an Ngram result) that a "drop-down list" is used more commonly than the other options.
    – AIQ
    Commented Dec 9, 2019 at 18:25
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    It is NOT a menu. A "menu" would allow user to pick one of several actions (by clicking on a link). This is just a combo-box or dropdown list - selecting one of the allowed text strings.
    – Peter M. - stands for Monica
    Commented Dec 26, 2019 at 22:49
  • ....No, it isn't. There is literally not even a menu, therefore it obviously can't be a "drop-down menu" because it literally is not even a menu.
    – Raven
    Commented Mar 24, 2023 at 6:40
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Noting that there is a cursor in the box, that looks like it will also accept custom text entry, along with a pre-populated list (with a down arrow) to choose from, this would be called:

ComboBox

This is a combination box where text box entry and a dropdown list are combined.

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This is not a window, this is a drop-down box.

It is NOT called a "drop-down menu". While that term might be "technically correct", sort-of, because it is a menu, and it is drop-down, no one will ever say "drop-down menu", because they will say "drop-down box".

A "window" is a thing that your entire program is contained in. For example, you might have a browser window, a Photoshop window, and a control panel settings window. However, after they are open, they will always be referred to with "the". "A" will only be used if someone is saying, "Open a new browser window", or similar. You can also have a second browser window, which, like the first browser window, contains several open tabs.

A "small window", when we answer this question without additional information or pictures, we might think you are referring to the small boxes in the top corner of the window which are used for minimizing or closing the program or window ( __ [ ] X ), or a subframe... uh, put that into Google images if you don't know what a "subframe" is. All in all, it does not make sense to refer to a menu OR a drop-down as a "window". I think that typically, windows have frames or borders. That may be the difference.

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    "It is NOT called a "drop-down menu". While that term might be "technically correct", sort-of, because it is a menu, and it is drop-down, no one will ever say "drop-down menu", because they will say "drop-down box"." Do you have any source that can substantiate this claim? "...no one will ever say..." really? Did you check google books before you made this statement?
    – AIQ
    Commented Nov 29, 2019 at 18:45
  • Yes, I speak English natively and have spoken to other Americans during my life before, who have in several cases referred to this item on a computer screen. I have also read articles in English before. If all of these thinhs are true, then each English user will know that my statement is correct.
    – Raven
    Commented Nov 30, 2019 at 11:12
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    @Raven You're wrong in claiming it's not called a drop-down menu. Maybe where you are, in your general region, or city, or company, the term drop-down box is most commonly used. I'm not a native speaker, but I've heard people referring to these as drop-downs or drop-down menus or drop-down lists. A drop-down menu is immediately understood because it implies a choice, and thus the term menu, whereas, in my view, a box may be used to refer to anything, really. I won't downvote this answer because I like everything else about it, though.
    – user3395
    Commented Nov 30, 2019 at 19:52
  • -1 As a software developer who has created many instances of interface elements such as the question describes, I have over the course of many years, almost always called it a drop down menu" or sometimes just a "drop down", and so have my colleagues. I have neve heard it called a "drop down box" It may be that some people do use this term, but many software developers, software support experts, and UI designers in the corporate world do not.
    – David Siegel
    Commented Aug 23, 2022 at 20:18
  • Just because you refer to things incorrectly does not magically mean that your incorrect usage of terms becomes correct. It is obviously LITERALLY IMPOSSIBLE for this to be a "drop-down menu", because there is NO MENU here. In LITERALLY ALL PLACES EVERYWHERE, it is NEVER called a "drop-down menu", because it DOES NOT CONTAIN ANY MENU. ...You know, exactly like all of the other UPVOTED responses have also said.
    – Raven
    Commented Aug 18 at 4:00

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