switchboard
noun
switch·board ˈswich-ˌbȯrd 
: an apparatus (as in a telephone exchange) consisting of a panel on which are mounted electric switches so arranged that a number of circuits may be connected, combined, and controlled
Example Sentences
She used to work as a switchboard operator.
Recent Examples on the Web As with the Highland Park installation, which features a QR code that connects smartphone users with the congressional switchboard, Farber said the idea behind these pieces is to stir action, not just reflection. 
John Keilman, Chicago Tribune, 4 Sep. 2022 The first artillery shell landed near an electrical switchboard. Joe Parkinson, WSJ, 14 Aug. 2022 The result sounds like being trapped inside a telephone switchboard, full of repeating signals, samples, and scraps. Debby Wolfinsohn, EW.com, 27 June 2022 In this instant cult classic from filmmaker Andrew Patterson, a young 1950s disc jockey (Jake Horowitz) and a geeky switchboard operator (Sierra McCormick) investigate a possible conspiracy designed to hide the existence of UFOs. Clark Collis, EW.com, 22 July 2022 Even the ability to call 911 isn’t a good reason, because an entire school full of people calling at once could overload a switchboard. Heather Kelly, Washington Post, 1 June 2022 As the United States hastily exited Afghanistan last year, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy dialed up the White House’s public switchboard number to lodge his anger over the messy withdrawal. Jennifer Haberkornstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 24 May 2022 The six pages of White House switchboard logs are complete based on an official review of White House records, according to a source familiar with the matter. Annie Grayer, CNN, 1 Apr. 2022 The fire, suspected to have started due to a short-circuit in the ventilator or the switchboard, damaged the entire SNCU, a unit where newborns in critical condition are admitted. Tabassum Barnagarwala, Quartz, 13 Apr. 2022 See More
John Keilman, Chicago Tribune, 4 Sep. 2022 The first artillery shell landed near an electrical switchboard. Joe Parkinson, WSJ, 14 Aug. 2022 The result sounds like being trapped inside a telephone switchboard, full of repeating signals, samples, and scraps. Debby Wolfinsohn, EW.com, 27 June 2022 In this instant cult classic from filmmaker Andrew Patterson, a young 1950s disc jockey (Jake Horowitz) and a geeky switchboard operator (Sierra McCormick) investigate a possible conspiracy designed to hide the existence of UFOs. Clark Collis, EW.com, 22 July 2022 Even the ability to call 911 isn’t a good reason, because an entire school full of people calling at once could overload a switchboard. Heather Kelly, Washington Post, 1 June 2022 As the United States hastily exited Afghanistan last year, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy dialed up the White House’s public switchboard number to lodge his anger over the messy withdrawal. Jennifer Haberkornstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 24 May 2022 The six pages of White House switchboard logs are complete based on an official review of White House records, according to a source familiar with the matter. Annie Grayer, CNN, 1 Apr. 2022 The fire, suspected to have started due to a short-circuit in the ventilator or the switchboard, damaged the entire SNCU, a unit where newborns in critical condition are admitted. Tabassum Barnagarwala, Quartz, 13 Apr. 2022 See More Word History
First Known Use
1873, in the meaning defined above
Kids Definition
switchboard
noun
switch·board ˈswich-ˌbȯrd
: a panel for controlling the operation of a number of electric circuits