n.
Function: noun
Usage: often attrib
Date: 1590
1 a : an act or instance of controlling also : power or authority to guide or manage b : skill in the use of a tool, instrument, technique, or artistic medium c : the regulation of economic activity especially by government directive ― usually used in plural <price control s > d : the ability of a baseball pitcher to control the location of a pitch within the strike zone
2 : RESTRAINT , RESERVE
3 : one that controls: as a (1) : an experiment in which the subjects are treated as in a parallel experiment except for omission of the procedure or agent under test and which is used as a standard of comparison in judging experimental effects ― called also control experiment (2) : one (as an organism, culture, or group) that is part of a control b : a device or mechanism used to regulate or guide the operation of a machine, apparatus, or system c : an organization that directs a spaceflight <mission control > d : a personality or spirit believed to actuate the utterances or performances of a spiritualist medium
synonyms see POWER