switch
See also: Switch
EnglishEdit
EtymologyEdit
Perhaps from Middle Dutch swijch (“twig”). First attested in c. 1592.
PronunciationEdit
NounEdit
switch (plural switches)
- A device to turn electric current on and off or direct its flow.
- A change or exchange.
- 2011 January 19, Jonathan Stevenson, “Leeds 1 - 3 Arsenal”, in BBC[1]:
- Wenger sent on Cesc Fabregas and Van Persie to try to finish Leeds off and with 14 minutes left the switch paid off as the Spaniard sent Template:Nicklas Bendtner away down the right and his wonderful curling cross was headed in by Van Persie at the far post.
- (rail transport, US) A movable section of railroad track which allows the train to be directed down one of two destination tracks; (set of) points.
- A slender woody plant stem used as a whip; a thin, flexible rod, associated with corporal punishment in the United States.
- 1953, James Baldwin, “Florence's Prayer”, in Go Tell It on the Mountain (Penguin Classics), London: Penguin Books, published 2001, →ISBN:
- Their mother would walk out into the yard and cut a switch from a tree and beat him—beat him, it seemed to Florence, until any other boy would have fallen down dead; […]
- 2007, Jeffrey W. Hamilton, Raising Godly Children in a Wicked World, Lulu.com, page 15:
- "A proper switch is a slim, flexible branch off a tree or a bush. A switch applied to the buttocks stings fiercely. It may leave red marks or bruises, but it causes no lasting damage.."
- (music) Synonym of rute.
- (computer science) A command line notation allowing specification of optional behavior.
- Use the /b switch to specify black-and-white printing.
- (computing, programming) A programming construct that takes different actions depending on the value of an expression.
- 2004, "Curt", Can I use IF statements, and still use switches? (on newsgroup microsoft.public.word.mailmerge.fields)
- (computing, networking) A networking device connecting multiple wires, allowing them to communicate simultaneously, when possible. Compare to the less efficient hub device that solely duplicates network packets to each wire.
- (telecommunications) A system of specialized relays, computer hardware, or other equipment which allows the interconnection of a calling party's telephone line with any called party's line.
- (genetics) A mechanism within DNA that activates or deactivates a gene.
- (BDSM) One who is willing to take either a submissive or a dominant role in a sexual relationship.
- 2012, Terri-Jean Bedford, Bondage Bungalow Fantasies (page 99)
- Ideally, if one of your ladies happens to be a switch (or would be willing to switch for this scene), I would love to be able to inflict a little "revenge tickling" as well, as part of a scenario.
- 2012, Terri-Jean Bedford, Bondage Bungalow Fantasies (page 99)
- (historical) A separate mass or tress of hair, or of some substance (such as jute) made to resemble hair, formerly worn on the head by women.
- (card games) A variant of crazy eights where one card, such as an ace, reverses the direction of play.
SynonymsEdit
- (section of railroad track): (UK) points
- (whip): crop
- (command-line notation): flag, option, specifier
HyponymsEdit
- analogue switch
- ball switch
- centrifugal switch
- company switch
- digital switch
- DIP switch, dipswitch
- disconnect switch
- double pole, double throw switch
- fireman's switch
- float switch
- footswitch
- four-way switch
- hall-effect switch
- inertial switch
- isolator switch
- key switch
- kill switch
- knife switch
- latching switch
- light switch
- limit switch
- load control switch
- man's switch
- membrane switch
- mercury tilt switch
- microswitch
- network switch
- piezo switch
- pressure switch
- pull switch
- push switch
- railway switch
- reed switch
- reversing switch
- riboswitch
- rotary switch
- sail switch
- sense switch
- slotted optical switch
- stepping switch
- telecommunications switch
- thermal switch
- three-way switch
- tilt switch
- time switch
- touch switch
- transfer switch
- vandal resistant switch
- wall-mounted switch
- wireless light switch
- zero speed switch
Derived termsEdit
Related termsEdit
DescendantsEdit
TranslationsEdit
device to turn electric current on and off
|
movable section of railroad track
|
thin rod used as a whip
|
command line notation
system allowing the interconnection of telephone lines
|
networking device
|
someone willing to switch roles in BDSM
|
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked
|
VerbEdit
switch (third-person singular simple present switches, present participle switching, simple past and past participle switched)
- (transitive) To exchange.
- 2013 June 1, “Ideas coming down the track”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8838, page 13 (Technology Quarterly):
- A “moving platform” scheme […] is more technologically ambitious than maglev trains even though it relies on conventional rails. Local trains would use side-by-side rails to roll alongside intercity trains and allow passengers to switch trains by stepping through docking bays.
- I want to switch this red dress for a green one.
- (transitive) To change (something) to the specified state using a switch.
- Switch the light on.
- (transitive, in modern times Southern US) To whip or hit with a switch.
- 1899 March, Joseph Conrad, “The Heart of Darkness”, in Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, volume CLXV, number MI, New York, N.Y.: The Leonard Scott Publishing Company, […], →OCLC, part II:
- They were looking on the ground, absorbed in thought. The manager was switching his leg with a slender twig: his sagacious relative lifted his head.
- (intransitive) To change places, tasks, etc.
- I want to switch to a different seat.
- (slang, intransitive) To get angry suddenly; to quickly or unreasonably become enraged.
- To swing or whisk.
- to switch a cane
- To be swung or whisked.
- The angry cat's tail switched back and forth.
- To trim.
- 1811, Walter Nicol, The Planters Kalendar:
- Switch and clip thorn and other deciduous hedges.
- To turn from one railway track to another; to transfer by a switch; generally with off, from, etc.
- to switch off a train; to switch a car from one track to another
- (ecclesiastical) To shift to another circuit.
- (intransitive) To take on the opposite role (leader vs. follower) in a partner dance.
- 2023 February 18 (last accessed) “Heather Lombardi”, in The Dancing Fools[2]:
- Feel free to ask her to follow, lead, or switch!
SynonymsEdit
- (to exchange): interchange, swap; See also Thesaurus:switch
TranslationsEdit
to exchange
|
to change (something) to the specified state using a switch
|
to hit with a switch (rod)
|
to change places or tasks
|
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
AdjectiveEdit
switch (not comparable)
- (snowboarding) Pertaining to riding with the front and back feet swapped round compared to one's normal position.[1]
- (freestyle skiing) Pertaining to skiing backwards.
Coordinate termsEdit
(snowboarding):
TranslationsEdit
See alsoEdit
ReferencesEdit
- ^ BBC Sport, "Sochi 2014: A jargon-busting guide to the halfpipe", 11 February 2014
Further readingEdit
- switch on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
- switch (corporal punishment) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
FinnishEdit
EtymologyEdit
PronunciationEdit
NounEdit
switch
DeclensionEdit
Inflection of switch (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation) | |||
---|---|---|---|
nominative | switch | switchit | |
genitive | switchin | switchien | |
partitive | switchiä | switchejä | |
illative | switchiin | switcheihin | |
singular | plural | ||
nominative | switch | switchit | |
accusative | nom. | switch | switchit |
gen. | switchin | ||
genitive | switchin | switchien | |
partitive | switchiä | switchejä | |
inessive | switchissä | switcheissä | |
elative | switchistä | switcheistä | |
illative | switchiin | switcheihin | |
adessive | switchillä | switcheillä | |
ablative | switchiltä | switcheiltä | |
allative | switchille | switcheille | |
essive | switchinä | switcheinä | |
translative | switchiksi | switcheiksi | |
instructive | — | switchein | |
abessive | switchittä | switcheittä | |
comitative | — | switcheineen |
Possessive forms of switch (type risti) | ||
---|---|---|
possessor | singular | plural |
1st person | switchini | switchimme |
2nd person | switchisi | switchinne |
3rd person | switchinsä |
FrenchEdit
EtymologyEdit
AdjectiveEdit
switch
PortugueseEdit
EtymologyEdit
Unadapted borrowing from English switch.
PronunciationEdit
NounEdit
switch m (plural switches or switch)
- (networking) switch (device connecting multiple wires, allowing them to communicate simultaneously)
- (computing) switch (command line notation allowing specification of optional behaviour)
- (programming) switch (construct that takes different actions depending on the value of an expression)