n.
Pronunciation: ' swich
Function: noun
Etymology: perhaps from Middle Dutch swijch twig
Date: 1592
1 : a slender flexible whip, rod, or twig <a riding switch >
2 : an act of switching: as a : a blow with a switch b : a shift from one to another c : a change from the usual <that outfit is a switch >
3 : a tuft of long hairs at the end of the tail of an animal (as a cow) ― see COW illustration
4 : a device made usually of two movable rails and necessary connections and designed to turn a locomotive or train from one track to another
5 : a device for making, breaking, or changing the connections in an electrical circuit
6 : a heavy strand of hair used in addition to a person's own hair for some coiffures