n.
Function: noun
Date: 1842
1 : a means or mechanism for turning or thrusting aside: as a chiefly British : a railroad switch b : a conductor joining two points in an electrical circuit so as to form a parallel or alternative path through which a portion of the current may pass (as for regulating the amount passing in the main circuit) c : a surgical passage created to divert a bodily fluid (as blood) from one vessel or part to another also : a device (as a narrow tube) used to establish a similar passage
2 chiefly British : an accident (as a collision between two cars) especially in auto racing