Wiktionary

switch

See also: Switch

English

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A light switch.
 
A networking switch.

Etymology

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Perhaps from Middle Dutch swijch (“twig”), first attested in c. 1592. The mechanical device for altering the direction of something sense is first attested in c. 1797, pertaining to pivoted rails on minecart railways,[1] which were once wooden.

Pronunciation

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  • enPR: swĭch, IPA(key): /swɪt͡ʃ/
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Rhymes: -ɪtʃ

Noun

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switch (plural switches)

  1. A device to turn electric current on and off or direct its flow.
  2. A change or exchange.
    • 1985 December 7, Nicholas Deutsch, “Epstein on the Beach (review)”, in Gay Community News, volume 13, number 21, page 15:
      After many complications and sudden switches of career and identity for all […] they end up selling out for fame and money, and leave the boardwalk for good.
    • 2011 January 19, Jonathan Stevenson, “Leeds 1 - 3 Arsenal”, in BBC‎[1]:
      Wenger sent on Cesc Fabregas and Van Persie to try to finish Leeds off and with 14 minutes left the switch paid off as the Spaniard sent Bendtner away down the right and his wonderful curling cross was headed in by Van Persie at the far post.
    • 2024 January 10, 'Industry Insider', “Success built on liberalisation and market freedom”, in RAIL, number 1000, page 69:
      This is a result of a switch from High Street to online retailing, requiring consumer goods to be delivered to the door from large-scale distribution parks that have sufficient traffic to justify a rail terminal.
  3. (rail transport, US, Philippines) A movable section of railroad track which allows the train to be directed down one of two destination tracks; (set of) points.
  4. A slender woody plant stem used as a whip; a thin, flexible rod, associated with corporal punishment in the United States.
    • 1953, James Baldwin, “Florence's Prayer”, in Go Tell It on the Mountain (Penguin Classics), London: Penguin Books, published 2001, →ISBN:
      Their mother would walk out into the yard and cut a switch from a tree and beat him—beat him, it seemed to Florence, until any other boy would have fallen down dead; […]
    • 2007, Jeffrey W. Hamilton, Raising Godly Children in a Wicked World, Lulu.com, page 15:
      "A proper switch is a slim, flexible branch off a tree or a bush. A switch applied to the buttocks stings fiercely. It may leave red marks or bruises, but it causes no lasting damage.."
  5. (music) Synonym of rute.
  6. (computer science) A command line notation allowing specification of optional behavior.
    Use the /b switch to specify black-and-white printing.
  7. (computing, programming) A programming construct that takes different actions depending on the value of an expression.
    • 2004, Curt, “Can I use IF statements, and still use switches?”, in microsoft.public.word.mailmerge.fields (Usenet):
  8. (computing, networking) A networking device connecting multiple wires, allowing them to communicate simultaneously, when possible. Compare to the less efficient hub device that solely duplicates network packets to each wire.
  9. (telecommunications) A system of specialized relays, computer hardware, or other equipment which allows the interconnection of a calling party's telephone line with any called party's line.
  10. (genetics) A mechanism within DNA that activates or deactivates a gene.
  11. (especially BDSM) One who is willing to take either a submissive or a dominant role in a sexual relationship.
    • 2012, Terri-Jean Bedford, Bondage Bungalow Fantasies, page 99:
      Ideally, if one of your ladies happens to be a switch (or would be willing to switch for this scene), I would love to be able to inflict a little "revenge tickling" as well, as part of a scenario.
  12. (historical) A separate mass or tress of hair, or of some substance (such as jute) made to resemble hair, formerly worn on the head by women.
  13. (card games) A variant of crazy eights where one card, such as an ace, reverses the direction of play.
  14. (firearms, slang) Synonym of Glock switch.
    1. (slang, metonymically) A Glock pistol equipped with a Glock switch.

Synonyms

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Hyponyms

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Derived terms

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Descendants

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  • → Gulf Arabic: سويچ (swīč)
  • → German: Switch

Translations

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The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked

Verb

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switch (third-person singular simple present switches, present participle switching, simple past and past participle switched)

  1. (transitive) To exchange.
    • 2013 June 1, “Ideas coming down the track”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8838, page 13 (Technology Quarterly):
      A “moving platform” scheme […] is more technologically ambitious than maglev trains even though it relies on conventional rails. Local trains would use side-by-side rails to roll alongside intercity trains and allow passengers to switch trains by stepping through docking bays.
    I want to switch this red dress for a green one.
  2. (transitive) To change (something) to the specified state using a switch.
    Switch the light on.
  3. (transitive, in modern times Southern US) To whip or hit with a switch.
  4. (intransitive) To change places, tasks, etc.
    I want to switch to a different seat.
  5. (slang, intransitive) To get angry suddenly; to quickly or unreasonably become enraged.
  6. To swing or whisk.
    to switch a cane
  7. To be swung or whisked.
    The angry cat's tail switched back and forth.
  8. To trim.
    • 1811, Walter Nicol, The Planters Kalendar:
      Switch and clip thorn and other deciduous hedges.
  9. To turn from one railway track to another; to transfer by a switch; generally with off, from, etc.
    to switch off a train; to switch a car from one track to another
  10. (ecclesiastical) To shift to another circuit.
  11. (intransitive) To take on the opposite role (leader vs. follower) in a partner dance.
    • 2023 February 18 (last accessed), “Heather Lombardi”, in The Dancing Fools‎[2]:
      Feel free to ask her to follow, lead, or switch!

Synonyms

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Derived terms

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Translations

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The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked

Adjective

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switch (not comparable)

  1. (snowboarding) Pertaining to riding with the front and back feet swapped round compared to one's normal position.[2]
  2. (freestyle skiing) Pertaining to skiing backwards.

Coordinate terms

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(snowboarding):

Translations

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ Oxford English Dictionary, s.v. “switch (n.), sense I.3.a,” June 2024, https://doi.org/10.1093/OED/4056072461.
  2. ^ BBC Sport, "Sochi 2014: A jargon-busting guide to the halfpipe", 11 February 2014

Further reading

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Finnish

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Etymology

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From English switch.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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switch

  1. (BDSM) switch

Declension

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Inflection of switch (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation)
nominative switch switchit
genitive switchin switchien
partitive switchiä switchejä
illative switchiin switcheihin
singular plural
nominative switch switchit
accusative nom. switch switchit
gen. switchin
genitive switchin switchien
partitive switchiä switchejä
inessive switchissä switcheissä
elative switchistä switcheistä
illative switchiin switcheihin
adessive switchillä switcheillä
ablative switchiltä switcheiltä
allative switchille switcheille
essive switchinä switcheinä
translative switchiksi switcheiksi
abessive switchittä switcheittä
instructive — switchein
comitative See the possessive forms below.
Possessive forms of switch (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation)
first-person singular possessor
singular plural
nominative switchini switchini
accusative nom. switchini switchini
gen. switchini
genitive switchini switchieni
partitive switchiäni switchejäni
inessive switchissäni switcheissäni
elative switchistäni switcheistäni
illative switchiini switcheihini
adessive switchilläni switcheilläni
ablative switchiltäni switcheiltäni
allative switchilleni switcheilleni
essive switchinäni switcheinäni
translative switchikseni switcheikseni
abessive switchittäni switcheittäni
instructive — —
comitative — switcheineni
second-person singular possessor
singular plural
nominative switchisi switchisi
accusative nom. switchisi switchisi
gen. switchisi
genitive switchisi switchiesi
partitive switchiäsi switchejäsi
inessive switchissäsi switcheissäsi
elative switchistäsi switcheistäsi
illative switchiisi switcheihisi
adessive switchilläsi switcheilläsi
ablative switchiltäsi switcheiltäsi
allative switchillesi switcheillesi
essive switchinäsi switcheinäsi
translative switchiksesi switcheiksesi
abessive switchittäsi switcheittäsi
instructive — —
comitative — switcheinesi
first-person plural possessor
singular plural
nominative switchimme switchimme
accusative nom. switchimme switchimme
gen. switchimme
genitive switchimme switchiemme
partitive switchiämme switchejämme
inessive switchissämme switcheissämme
elative switchistämme switcheistämme
illative switchiimme switcheihimme
adessive switchillämme switcheillämme
ablative switchiltämme switcheiltämme
allative switchillemme switcheillemme
essive switchinämme switcheinämme
translative switchiksemme switcheiksemme
abessive switchittämme switcheittämme
instructive — —
comitative — switcheinemme
second-person plural possessor
singular plural
nominative switchinne switchinne
accusative nom. switchinne switchinne
gen. switchinne
genitive switchinne switchienne
partitive switchiänne switchejänne
inessive switchissänne switcheissänne
elative switchistänne switcheistänne
illative switchiinne switcheihinne
adessive switchillänne switcheillänne
ablative switchiltänne switcheiltänne
allative switchillenne switcheillenne
essive switchinänne switcheinänne
translative switchiksenne switcheiksenne
abessive switchittänne switcheittänne
instructive — —
comitative — switcheinenne
third-person possessor
singular plural
nominative switchinsä switchinsä
accusative nom. switchinsä switchinsä
gen. switchinsä
genitive switchinsä switchiensä
partitive switchiään
switchiänsä 		switchejään
switchejänsä
inessive switchissään
switchissänsä 		switcheissään
switcheissänsä
elative switchistään
switchistänsä 		switcheistään
switcheistänsä
illative switchiinsä switcheihinsä
adessive switchillään
switchillänsä 		switcheillään
switcheillänsä
ablative switchiltään
switchiltänsä 		switcheiltään
switcheiltänsä
allative switchilleen
switchillensä 		switcheilleen
switcheillensä
essive switchinään
switchinänsä 		switcheinään
switcheinänsä
translative switchikseen
switchiksensä 		switcheikseen
switcheiksensä
abessive switchittään
switchittänsä 		switcheittään
switcheittänsä
instructive — —
comitative — switcheineen
switcheinensä

French

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Etymology

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Borrowed from English switch.

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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switch

  1. (skiing, snowboarding) switch
  2. (especially BDSM) One who is willing to take either a submissive or a dominant role in a sexual relationship.

Portuguese

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Etymology

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Unadapted borrowing from English switch.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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switch m (plural switches or switch)

  1. (networking) switch (device connecting multiple wires, allowing them to communicate simultaneously)
  2. (computing) switch (command line notation allowing specification of optional behaviour)
  3. (programming) switch (construct that takes different actions depending on the value of an expression)
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