Control key
noun
either of two keys on a PC keyboard that is held down while pressing another key, as to issue a command.
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Control key
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control key
control keynouna key on the keyboard of a computer that is used in conjunction with the standard keys in order to initiate a specific function, such as editing
Control key
American
[kuhn-trohl kee]
/ kənˈtroʊl ˌki /
noun
Computers.
control key
British
noun
Etymology
Origin of Control key
First recorded in 1975–80
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.
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You can also press the Control key plus a symbol and then the letter you want to accent.
From The Verge ● Apr. 26, 2022
WordWeb lets you look up words in Microsoft Word and other applications by holding down the Control key and right-clicking on the word.
From The Guardian ● Jul. 26, 2012
Hold down the Control key and the right mouse button simultaneously.
From Debian GNU/Linux : Guide to Installation and Usage by John Goerzen
Regional governments in Spain control key policy areas such as education, healthcare, infrastructure, and culture.
From Barron's ● Dec. 21, 2025
Her team directly tested those "in-between" stretches in human astrocytes and showed which enhancers truly control key brain genes.
From Science Daily ● Dec. 19, 2025
For decades, this landscape has allowed employers to control key aspects of their business while distancing themselves from the responsibilities they would have to employees—but the tide may be turning.
From Slate ● Sep. 13, 2022
Opposition forces are expected to control key committees, such as the powerful finance committee that oversees the state budget, and to fill strategic positions in the National Assembly.
From New York Times ● Jun. 20, 2022
The single most important emacs command is control-x control-c This means, depress your control key and hit x.
From Big Dummy's Guide to the Internet by Electronic Frontier Foundation
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
