toggle

Etymology

Of uncertain origin. Possible alteration of tug (“to pull”) + -le

noun

1. (nautical) A wooden or metal pin, short rod, crosspiece or similar, fixed transversely in the eye of a rope or chain to be secured to any other loop, ring, or bight, e.g. a sea painter to a lifeboat.
2. (in particular, fashion) A rod-shaped button bound with slack to the fabric.
3. A toggle switch.
4. An appliance for transmitting force at right angles to its direction.
5. A horizontal piece of wood that is placed on a door, flat, or other wooden structure, but is not on one of the edges of the structure.
6. A fastener that has flaps that align vertically to penetrate a surface and then spread out to secure the fastener in position, e.g. a molly bolt.
   Hooks come with screws for use in plaster or wood and toggles for use in wallboard. 1991, Kalton C. Lahue, Cheryl Smith, Interior Lighting, page 19
7. (skydiving) A loop of webbing or a dowel affixed to the end of the steering/brake lines of a parachute providing the pilot with a means of control.

verb

1. To alternate between two positions using a single switch or lever.
   Clicking a button will alternately toggle its light on OR off.
2. To switch between alternate states.
   toggle to lower/upper case
   You can quickly toggle the case of selected text by pressing Alt+C.
   He’s that rare creature who’s equally powerful in the classics and popular fare, who’s dedicated to toggling between stage and screen. He is both prolific and enigmatic, disappearing into a dazzling range of characters. 2022-10-22, Maureen Dowd, “Ralph Fiennes, Master of Monsters”, in The New York Times
3. (nautical, transitive) To fix like a toggle iron; to fix fast.