control tower

American

noun

a glass-enclosed, elevated structure for the visual observation and control of the air and ground traffic at an airport.

control tower British

noun

a tower at an airport from which air traffic is controlled

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of control tower

First recorded in 1915–20

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

It is effectively a watchtower or control tower for all your data.

From Barron's

New York’s LaGuardia Airport reopened Monday afternoon, hours after being closed because of a fatal runway crash, while a ground stop was issued at a New Jersey airport after a control tower was evacuated.

From Barron's

In audio from the control tower at the time of the crash, an air traffic controller can be heard urgently asking the truck to come to a stop.

From Salon

In audio from the air traffic control tower at LaGuardia, a staff member can be heard saying: "'Truck One, stop, stop, stop!" in the seconds before the crash.

From BBC

LaGuardia Airport closed after a fatal runway collision killed two pilots, while Newark Liberty International experienced a ground stop due to a control tower evacuation.

From Barron's

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023