verb To direct or influence the behavior of someone or something.
- The pilot struggled to control the aircraft in the storm.
- She learned to control her temper over the years.
- Teachers need to control a noisy class without shouting at the children.
noun Power or authority to direct or manage something.
- The new manager took control of the failing project.
- The council has lost control of the building project because nobody is in charge.
- Parents often have less control over teenagers than they would like.
noun A device such as a button, lever, or switch used to operate a machine.
- He fiddled with the controls until the volume was right.
- The pilot reached for the controls as the plane began to shake.
- Press the small control on the side to turn the lamp on.
noun A group or sample used as a baseline for comparison in an experiment.
- The control group received a placebo instead of the actual drug.
- Scientists compared the treated plants with a control that received only water.
- Without a control, we cannot tell whether the new fertilizer made any difference.
