chicken switch

[ chik-uhn swich ]

nounRocketry Slang.
  1. a device by which an astronaut may eject the capsule in which they ride, in the event that a rocket malfunctions.

Origin of chicken switch

1
First recorded in 1955–60; chicken (in the sense “fearful person”) + switch

Words Nearby chicken switch

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024