toggle switch

American

noun

Electricity.

a switch in which a projecting knob or arm, moving through a small arc, causes the contacts to open or close an electric circuit suddenly, as commonly used in most homes.

toggle switch British

noun

an electric switch having a projecting lever that is manipulated in a particular way to open or close a circuit
a computer device that is used to turn a feature on or off

"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 toggle switch

First recorded in 1920–25

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.

See Examples For:

toggle switch

In one instance, a cyber team found a toggle switch that sailors were using to electronically flip between vessel names—the digital equivalent of painting over the ship’s real name on the hull.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026

There is even a red toggle switch for "manual detonation", explains Thirteenth.

From BBC ● Mar. 12, 2024

"Our work uncovered a toggle switch in his brain," Murthy said.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2023

The startup said Tuesday that ChatGPT users can now turn off their chat histories by clicking a toggle switch in their account settings.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 27, 2023

He flipped on the flashlight and groped along the side of the car, looking for the toggle switch that released the trunk.

From "Shooting Kabul" by N. H. Senzai

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