toggle
/ˈtɒɡ(ə)l
/noun
1A short rod of wood or plastic sewn to one side of a coat or other garment, pushed through a hole or loop on the other side and twisted so as to act as a fastener.But she was fastened into her duties like a toggle into a duffel coat....
- When Adam had received a cut, after being hit in the eye by a duffel coat toggle, action had been taken.
- Duffle coat toggles used to be made from such nuts.
1.1A pin or other crosspiece put through the eye of a rope or a link of a chain to keep it in place.This toggle holds the necklace together when it's passed through the clay loop.
1.2 (also toggle bolt) A kind of wall fastener for use on open-backed plasterboard, having a part that springs open or turns through 90° after it is inserted so as to prevent withdrawal.Heavier objects can be supported with a molly style hollow wall fastener, a spiral threaded fastener, or a toggle bolt....
- If only one stud is located behind a unit, add a toggle bolt as an additional fastener.
- If you happen to hit framing while drilling, use a screw instead of a toggle bolt at that location.
1.3A movable pivoted crosspiece acting as a barb on a harpoon.
2 (also toggle switch or toggle key) Computing A key or command that is operated the same way but with opposite effect on successive occasions.These include a power toggle with an LED power indicator, an input toggle to choose which video feed is functional, and an on-screen menu on/off switch....
- One of the control buttons is a toggle for the SuperBright feature (on, off, and movie), another button is a reset, and the remaining buttons control the menu system.
- The mixer application includes a nice feature for headphone use: a toggle switch turns on a small pre-amp that boosts signal output.
verb
1 [no object, with adverbial] Computing Switch from one effect, feature, or state to another by using a toggle: the play/pause button toggles between those functions [with object]: there are a number of attributes which can be toggled on or off...
- While you are typing, there's a button which toggles between CAPS, lower case, numbers, and punctuation modes.
- One button toggles power on and off, another resets the display, and one exits the on-screen menu.
- The pilot will be able to use the touch-screen, manually toggle through the screens using the buttons on the throttle and side-stick controller or use a voice recognition system.
2 [with object] Provide or fasten with a toggle or toggles: our horses were hobbled or toggled before they were turned out to graze (as adjective toggled) a toggled coat
Origin
Mid 18th century (originally in nautical use): of unknown origin.
Toggle was originally in nautical use, a term for a short pin passed through a loop of a rope to keep it in place. The origin is obscure but there is probably a relationship with tangle. The word's generalization to a ‘fastener’ on a strap or garment dates from the late 19th century. It has been used as a term in computing since the 1980s for a command that has the opposite effect on successive occasions: the notion is one of turning through 90 degrees.