Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Topic: TECHNOLOGY

control

1 noun
     
con‧trol1 S1 W1
1

make somebody/something do what you want

[uncountable] the ability or power to make someone or something do what you want or make something happen in the way you wantCOLLOCATIONS COLLOCATIONS
have control (over/of something) take/gain control (of/over something) fight/struggle for control (of/over something) lose control (of/over something) be under control keep something under control (=keep something happening in the way you want) get/go out of control (=stop happening in the way you want) beyond/outside somebody's control (=impossible for someone to control) full/total control
The disease robs you of muscle control.
control of/over
Babies are born with very little control over their movements.
Artists like to have some control over where their works are hung in a gallery.
She's a good teacher who has control of her class.
Students are encouraged to take control of their own learning, rather than just depending on the teacher.
Excessive drinking can make you lose control of your own life.
'Do you need any help?' 'No. It's under control, thanks.'
Dogs are allowed on the trails if they are kept under control.
The car spun out of control and hit a tree.
Flight delays do occur, for reasons that are outside our control.
2

power

[uncountable] the power to make the decisions about how a country, place, company etc is organized or what it does:
The press was freed from political control.
control of
Jordan asked for editorial control of the project.
in control (of something)
Anti-government forces are still in control of the area.
By the end of the year, the rebels had control over the northern territories.
The Johnson family has effective control of the company, owning almost 60% of the shares.
China gained control of the island in 1683.
His son is being trained to take control of the family business.
The Democrats lost control of Congress in the last election.
under the control of somebody
The college was under the control of a group of trustees.
The whole of this area came under Soviet control after World War II.
The Conservatives are hoping to regain control of the city council.
3

way of limiting something

[uncountable and countable] an action, method, or law that limits the amount or growth of something, especially something that is dangerous:
pest control
control of
the control of inflation
control on
The authorities imposed strict controls on the movement of cattle.
an agreement on arms control (=control of the amount of weapons a country has)
under control
Firefighters had the blaze under control by 9:44 p.m.
Shea used diet and exercise to bring her weight under control.
The Federal Reserve Bank raised interest rates to keep inflation under control.
rent/price/wage etc controls
Rent controls ensured that no one paid too much for housing.
tight/rigid controls (=strict controls)
the introduction of tighter controls on immigration
Police used fire hoses and dogs for crowd control.
4

ability to stay calm

[uncountable] the ability to remain calm even when you feel very angry, upset, or excited:
There were sudden tears in his eyes and he paused, fighting for control.
Davidson lost control of himself and started yelling.
Small children can't be expected to have the same self-control (=ability to control their emotions and behaviour) as an adult.
under control
Her voice is under control, but she is almost shaking with anger.
in control
I felt calm and in control.
5

machine/vehicle

[countable]T the thing that you press or turn to make a machine, vehicle, television etc work:
the TV remote control
the volume control on the radio
a car with manual controls
at the controls (=controlling a vehicle or aircraft)
Belton, at the controls, made a perfect landing.
6

people who organize activity

[singular, uncountable]TTATTS the people who direct an activity or who check that something is done correctly, the place where this is done, or the process of doing it:
air-traffic control
Please stop at passport control.
computers used for stock control
7

scientific test

[countable]
a) H a person, group etc against which you compare another person or group that is very similar, in order to see if a particular quality is caused by something or happens by chance
control group/population/sample etc
A control group of non-smoking women were compared to four groups of women smokers.
b) H a thing that you already know the result for that is used in a scientific test, in order to show that your method is working correctly ➔ controlled experiment
8TD

computer

also control key [singular]TD a particular button on a computer that allows you to do certain operations:
Press control and F2 to exit.
Definition of control from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English within
the topic TECHNOLOGY
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