microswitch

American

[mahy-kruh-swich] / ˈmaɪ krəˌswɪtʃ /

noun

a highly sensitive switch used in automatic-control devices.

microswitch British

/ ˈmaɪkrəʊˌswɪtʃ /

noun

electrical engineering a switch that operates by small movements of a lever

"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 microswitch

First recorded in 1955–60; micro- + switch

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.

Speaking of buttons, these have been modeled after the tactile microswitch controls featured on another Razer product, the Wolverine V2 console controller.

From The Verge • Sep. 1, 2022

The ball is attached to a microswitch, which emits a beep.

From Science Magazine • Dec. 16, 2021

The wireless peripheral also comes with a 16,000 DPI sensor and a 70-million-click microswitch.

From The Verge • Sep. 9, 2021

Reason: the apparent failure, possibly due to weak batteries, of a microswitch on the door of the canister housing the satellite.

From Time Magazine Archive

It is now the world's largest and most sophisticated manufacturer of automatic control systems, turning out 13,000 products so diverse that they encompass a 600 microswitch and a $3,000,000 electronic data processing system.

From Time Magazine Archive

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