control stick

American  

noun

Aeronautics.

1. a lever by which a pilot controls the ailerons and elevator of an aircraft.

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control stick British  

noun

1. Also called: control column.   joy stick.  the lever by which a pilot controls the lateral and longitudinal movements of an aircraft

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Etymology

Origin of control stick

First recorded in 1930–35

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

control stick

The basis of its training is videogames: The company’s model captures every frame of a game, as well as the actions users take—every press on a button or nudge of a control stick.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

To wipe the table, for example, you move the control stick in specific directions.

From The Verge ● Jun. 2, 2022

Their shuttle had dials, switches and a control stick.

From BBC ● May 24, 2020

Scott takes another handful of Cheetos, grabs the control stick, and leans back.

From Scientific American ● Feb. 12, 2018

The more nervous I got, the tighter I would clutch the control stick, and at the end of an hour my right arm would ache.

From "Flying to the Moon: An Astronaut's Story" by Michael Collins