control

 
Pronunciation: /kənˈtrəʊl/

noun

  • 1 [mass noun] the power to influence or direct people’s behaviour or the course of events: the whole operation is under the control of a production manager the situation was slipping out of her control
  • the ability to manage a machine, vehicle, or other moving object: he lost control of his car improve your ball control
  • the restriction of an activity, tendency, or phenomenon: crime control
  • the ability to restrain one’s own emotions or actions: she was goaded beyond control
  • [count noun] (often controls) a means of limiting or regulating something: growing controls on local spending
  • [count noun] a switch or other device by which a device or vehicle is regulated: he had the chance to take the controls and fly the glider the volume control
  • [with modifier] the place from which a system or activity is directed or where a particular item is verified: passport control
  • Computingshort for control key. note that Control plus various keys on the numeric keypad will move you around the text
  • 2a person or thing used as a standard of comparison for checking the results of a survey or experiment: platelet activity was higher in patients with the disease than in the controls
  • 3a member of an intelligence organization who personally directs the activities of a spy: he sat with his KGB control as the details of his new assignment were explained
  • 4 Bridge a high card that will prevent the opponents from establishing a particular suit: he has controls in both minor suits

verb (controls, controlling, controlled)

  • 1 [with object] determine the behaviour or supervise the running of: he was appointed to control the company’s marketing strategy
  • maintain influence or authority over: there were never enough masters to control the unruly mobs of boys
  • limit the level, intensity, or numbers of: he had to control his temper
  • (control oneself) remain calm and reasonable despite provocation: her eyes flashed angrily, but she made an effort to control herself
  • regulate (a mechanical or scientific process): the airflow is controlled by a fan
  • (as adjective controlled) (of a drug) restricted by law in respect of use and possession: a sentence for possessing controlled substances
  • 2 [no object] (control for) take into account (an extraneous factor that might affect the results of an experiment): no attempt was made to control for variations (as adjective controlled) a controlled trial

Phrases

in control

able to direct a situation, person, or activity: from the beginning he has been in control of his own destiny

out of control

no longer possible to manage: the fire gets out of control

under control

(of a danger or emergency) such that people are able to deal with it successfully: it took two hours to bring the blaze under control

Derivatives

controllability

Pronunciation: /-ˈbɪlɪti/
noun

controllable

adjective

controllably

adverb

Origin:

late Middle English (as a verb in the sense 'check or verify accounts', especially by referring to a duplicate register): from Anglo-Norman French contreroller 'keep a copy of a roll of accounts', from medieval Latin contrarotulare, from contrarotulus 'copy of a roll', from contra- 'against' + rotulus 'a roll'. The noun is perhaps via French contrôle

Spelling rule

Double the l when adding endings which begin with a vowel to words which end in a vowel plus l (as in travel): (controls, controlling, controlled).