control stick

American

noun

Aeronautics.

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

control stick British

noun

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

"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 stick

First recorded in 1930–35

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.

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

And then Bonin made a simple mistake: he pulled back on his control stick and the plane started to climb steeply.

From The Guardian • Oct. 11, 2016

But by letting go of the control stick to shout, the puppy has returned full command of the craft to Dr. Loofah.

From "Dog Squad" by Chris Grabenstein

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