noun
joystick
JOY-stihk
noun
1
A hand-operated lever used to control machinery, video games, or aircraft.
"He steered the drone using a small joystick."
"The flight simulator came with a realistic joystick and pedals."
How to Use Joystick
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA control lever, most familiar today from video game controllers and flight sticks.
Common pairings
grip the joystick
joystick controller
Word Forms
joysticked past tense, joysticks plural, joysticks singular
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He steered the drone using a small _____.
Etymology
From joy plus stick, first recorded around 1910 as "joy-stick" for an airplane's control stick. The exact connection to "joy" isn't clear.