switch

noun

1. 1.

   A device to turn electric current on and off or direct its flow.

2. 2.

   A change or exchange.

3. 3.

   A slender woody plant stem used as a whip; a thin, flexible rod, associated with corporal punishment in the United States.

verb

1. 1.

   transitivein modern times Southern US

   To whip or hit with a switch.

2. 2.

   Exchange or give (something) in exchange for

3. 3.

   intransitive

   To change places, tasks, etc.

4. 4.

   To swing or whisk.

5. 5.

   To turn from one railway track to another; to transfer by a switch; generally with off, from, etc.

6. 6.

   To be swung or whisked.

Inflected forms

Grammatical variations of the same word.

• switchingnounInflected form

  The act of changing one thing or position for another.

• switchernounInflected form

  A person who administers punishment by wielding a switch or whip.

Compound terms

Established multiword terms.

• switch offverbCompound term

  Cause to stop operating by disengaging a switch.

• switch onverbCompound term

  Cause to operate by flipping a switch.

• switch oververbCompound term

  Change over, change around, as to a new order or sequence.

• switch-ivynounCompound term

  Fast-growing evergreen shrub of southeastern United States having arching interlaced branches and racemes of white flowers.

• switch-hitternounCompound term

  A baseball player who can bat either right or left handed.

• switch-hitverbCompound term

  Bat right-handed against a left-handed and left-handed against a right-handed pitcher.