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control tower

American  

noun

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


control tower British  

noun

  1. 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.

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 • Mar. 23, 2026

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 • Mar. 23, 2026

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 • Mar. 22, 2026

The initial chaos in the first hours of the latest conflict was captured on airwaves transmitted from Kuwait’s air-traffic control tower.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026

“Stop hollering so much, will you?” answered Milo, who was standing there right beside him in the control tower with a microphone of his own.

From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller

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