Perhaps from Middle Dutch swijch.

• enPR: swĭch, IPA: /swɪt͡ʃ/

switch (plural switches)

1. A device to turn electric current on and off or direct its flow.
2. A change or exchange.
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. (musical instruments) 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.
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. (telecommunication) 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, metonym) A Glock pistol equipped with a Glock switch.

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

• French: interrupteur
• German: Schalter
• Italian: interruttore
• Portuguese: interruptor, chave
• Russian: выключа́тель
• Spanish: interruptor, switch (America)

• French: aiguille, aiguillage
• German: Weiche
• Italian: scambio
• Portuguese: aparelho de mudança de via, agulha
• Russian: стре́лка
• Spanish: aguja

• French: badine
• German: Spießrute
• Italian: verga
• Portuguese: vergasta, açoite, vara
• Russian: хлыст
• Spanish: latigazo

• French: commutateur
• Italian: opzione, parametro, argomento
• Portuguese: switch

• French: commutateur
• Italian: centralino
• Portuguese: central telefónica (Portugal), central telefônica (Brazil)
• Russian: коммута́тор

• French: commutateur réseau
• German: Switch, Verteiler, Netzwerkweiche
• Italian: switch
• Portuguese: switch, comutador
• Russian: коммута́тор
• Spanish: switch, conmutador

switch (switches, present participle switching; simple past and past participle switched)

1. (transitive) To exchange.

   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.
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.

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

• French: échanger
• German: tauschen, austauschen
• Italian: scambiare
• Portuguese: trocar
• Spanish: intercambiar, cambiar

• French: commuter
• German: schalten
• Italian: commutare
• Portuguese: ligar (switch on), desligar (switch off)

• French: fouetter
• Italian: picchiare
• Portuguese: vergastar, açoitar

• French: changer
• German: wechseln
• Italian: cambiare, passare, migrare
• Portuguese: trocar, mudar

switch (not comparable)

1. (snowboarding) Pertaining to riding with the front and back feet swapped round compared to one's normal position.
2. (freestyle skiing) Pertaining to skiing backwards.

• French: switch

• French: switch

switch (plural switches)

1. (video games) Ellipsis of w:Nintendo Switch