noun
switch
swihch
noun
1
A device used to turn an electrical circuit on or off.
"She flipped the light switch as she entered the room."
2
A change or exchange from one thing to another.
"The company made a switch to renewable energy suppliers."
3
A device that connects multiple devices on a computer network, directing data between them.
"The IT team replaced the old network switch to speed up the office connection."
verb
1
To change from one thing, state, or place to another.
"He switched careers after ten years in finance."
"Can we switch seats so I can sit by the window?"
How to Use Switch
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo change from one thing to another, or a device (electrical, mechanical, or in networking) that controls or redirects something.
Common pairings
switch on/off
switch places
flip the switch
Word Forms
switched past tense, switches plural, switches singular
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Etymology
Possibly from Middle Dutch swijch, "twig" — the earliest meaning was a thin flexible rod, and the electrical/mechanical sense came much later, around 1800.