AC power plugs and sockets are devices for removably connecting electrically operated devices to the power supply

Mains electricity

Mains is the general-purpose alternating current electric power supply. In the US, electric power is referred to by several names including household power, household electricity, powerline, domestic power, wall power, line power, AC power, city power, street power, and grid power...

. Electrical plugs and sockets differ by country in rating, shape, size and type of connectors. The types used in each country are set by national standards.

Generally the plug is the movable connector attached to an electrically operated device's power cord

Power cord

A power cord, line cord, or mains cable is a cable that temporarily connects an appliance to the mains electricity supply via a wall socket or extension cord. The terms are generally used for cables using a power plug to connect to a single-phase alternating current power source at the local line...

, and the socket is a fixture on equipment or a building structure.