switch

Definitions

1. 1.(Railways) A movable part of a rail; or of opposite rails, for transferring cars from one track to another.
2. 2.A separate mass or trees of hair, or of some substance (at jute) made to resemble hair, worn on the head by women.
3. 3.(Eccl.) A mechanical device for shifting an electric current to another circuit. Safety switch (Railways), a form of switch contrived to prevent or lessen the danger of derailment of trains. -- Switch back (Railways), an arrangement of tracks whereby elevations otherwise insurmountable are passed. The track ascends by a series of zigzags, the engine running alternately forward and back, until the summit is reached. -- Switch board (Elec.), a collection of switches in one piece of apparatus, so arranged that a number of circuits may be connected or combined in any desired manner. -- Switch grass. (Bot.) See under Grass.
4. 4.To strike with a switch or small flexible rod; to whip. Chapman.
5. 5.To swing or whisk; as, to switch a cane.
6. 6.To trim, as, a hedge. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.
7. 7.To turn from one railway track to another; to transfer by a switch; -- generally with off, from, etc.; as, to switch off a train; to switch a car from one track to another.
8. 8.(Eccl.) To shift to another circuit.
9. 9.To walk with a jerk. [Prov. Eng.]

Source: Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).

Related questions

• What does "switch" mean?

Reverse-dictionary questions

Definition-first questions whose answer is switch.

• What is a movable part of a rail; or of opposite rails, for transferring cars from one track to another called?
• What is a separate mass or trees of hair, or of some substance (at jute) made to resemble hair, worn on the head by women called?
• What is to strike with a switch or small flexible rod; to whip. Chapman called?
• What is to swing or whisk; as, to switch a cane called?
• What is to trim, as, a hedge. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell called?
• What is to turn from one railway track to another; to transfer by a switch; -- generally with off, from, etc.; as, to switch off a train; to switch a car from one track to another called?