switch

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.

• enPR: swĭch, IPA^(key): /swɪt͡ʃ/

• Audio (US):

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• Rhymes: -ɪtʃ

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, metonymic) A Glock pistol equipped with a Glock switch.
15. (sports) A play in which the ball (or equivalent) is moved from one side of the playing area to the other.
    • 2023 July 20, Cody Atkinson, Sean Lawson, “How the Brisbane Lions are switching directions in the AFL to achieve attacking success”, in ABC News‎^[2], Sydney, retrieved 27 May 2025:

      Once a sign of surrender and lead protection, the backwards kick plays a role in one of the most enterprising, enjoyable phases of the modern game: the switch. In an era where zones, presses, zone-presses and floods are ever present, the switch breaks through these tactical innovations like a hot knife through butter.

• (section of railroad track): (UK) points
• (whip): crop
• (command-line notation): flag, option, specifier

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

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.
   • 1899 March, Joseph Conrad, “The Heart of Darkness”, in Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, volume CLXV, number MI, New York, N.Y.: The Leonard Scott Publishing Company, […], →OCLC, part II:

     They were looking on the ground, absorbed in thought. The manager was switching his leg with a slender twig: his sagacious relative lifted his head.

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^[3], archived from the original on 18 February 2023:

      Feel free to ask her to follow, lead, or switch!

12. (sports, transitive) To move (the ball or equivalent) from one side of the playing area to the other.
    • 2018 April 15, Sarah Harrington, “Essendon defeats Port Adelaide: Jake Stringer's brilliance personifies the Bombers' response to a tough week”, in Fox Footy‎^[4], Melbourne, retrieved 27 May 2025:

      After they switched the ball across their back half, Hurley found the hard-running Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti, who in turn hit up Stewart. Then the big man produced a moment of inspiration, taking on his defender before chipping the ball to Daniher, who goaled.

• (to exchange): interchange, swap; See also Thesaurus:switch

• → Dutch: switchen
• → German: switchen

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.

(snowboarding):

• goofy
• regular

• switch off
• switch on

• switch on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• switch (corporal punishment) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

• Audio:

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Borrowed from English switch.

switch m (plural switches, diminutive switchje n)

1. switch (act of switching)

   Synonyms: wissel, verandering, overgang

   Hij maakte een grote switch in zijn leven door te verhuizen. ― He made a big switch in his life by moving to a new place.

2. (BDSM) switch (person interested in acting both in a dominant and a submissive sexual role)

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

switch

1. inflection of switchen:
   1. first-person singular present indicative
   2. (in case of inversion) second-person singular present indicative
   3. imperative

From English switch.

• IPA^(key): /ˈswitʃ/, [ˈs̠wit̪ʃ]
• Rhymes: -itʃ

switch

1. (BDSM) switch

Borrowed from English switch.

• Audio:

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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.

Unadapted borrowing from English switch.

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈswit͡ʃ/

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)