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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.

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

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 Fars news agency said US attacks targeted air defences, a naval base, airport control tower and a helicopter hangar.

From BBC • Mar. 14, 2026

The latest shortfall happened Wednesday afternoon when not enough workers showed up at Reagan Washington National Airport’s air-traffic control tower, prompting delays in the nation’s capital.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 9, 2025

Once, they took off and were flying in formation when the control tower summoned them down.

From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller

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