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| con·trol [ kən trṓl ] |
transitive verb (past and past participle con·trolled, present participle con·trol·ling, 3rd person present singular con·trols) |
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| Definition: |
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1. manage: to exercise power or authority over something such as a business or nation
 The company is controlled largely by foreign interests.
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2. operate machine: to work or operate something such as a vehicle or machine
 Computers control many of the safety features on board.
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3. restrain or limit something: to limit or restrict somebody or something, e.g. in expression, occurrence, or rate of increase
 The administration set out to control inflation.
 her inability to control her temper
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4. finance oversee financial affairs: to regulate the financial affairs of a business or other large organization
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5. accounting verify accounts: to examine financial accounts and verify them as correct
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noun (plural con·trols) |
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| Definition: |
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1. ability to manage something: ability or authority to manage or direct something
 circumstances beyond our control
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2. operating switch: a mechanical or electronic device used to operate a vehicle or machine
 Turn down the heat control.
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3. skill: skill in using something or in performing
(
often used in combination
)
 players with excellent ball control
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4. limits and restrictions: the process of limiting or restricting somebody or something, or the methods used in this
 an era of wage and price control
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5. place of inspection or direction: a place at which something is checked or inspected or from which something is directed
(
usually used in combination
)
 passengers filing through passport control
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6. comparative standard in experiment: a subject taking part in an experiment or survey but not involved in the procedures affecting the rest of the experiment, thus acting as the standard against which the results are compared
 We have sixteen mice, of which the eight controls have been matched for age and weight.
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7. supervising person or group: a person or group that supervises or monitors operations or operatives
 Their intelligence agents report to control twice a week.
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8. comput Same as control key
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9. paranormal spirit that supposedly guides seance: a spirit that is believed to help a medium gain access to other spirits being called up in a seance
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10. baseball pitcher's precision: the ability of a pitcher to place a pitch precisely, especially in the strike zone
 The pitcher had great control in the top of the seventh.
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plural noun con·trols |
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| Definition: |
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1. means of controlling: the means by which a machine is operated
 nobody at the controls
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2. rules: the regulations governing a system
 import controls
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| [15th century. Via Anglo-Norman contreroller< medieval Latin contrarotulare "check against a duplicate register" < rotul- "little roll" (see roll)] |
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in control in authority or able to control something successfully
 Who's in control here?
 He was in control of his feelings.
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lose control to be unable to control something
 She lost control of the car and crashed.
 He lost control and started weeping.
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out of control impossible to control successfully
 The car spun out of control.
 These students are out of control.
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take control to start to control something successfully, especially something that has previously been controlled by somebody else
 The rebels took control of the radio station.
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under control in or into a state of being successfully controlled
 They soon brought the fire under control.
 He was trying to keep the situation under control.
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