Word of the Day: Control
control
con-trol / kən-ˈtrōl
verb
1. to exercise restraint over
He who controls his tongue, saves his head.
Turkish Proverb
2. to rule over
He who cannot agree with his enemies is controlled by them.
Chinese Proverb
3. to reduce the impact or severity of something
Government officials thought they could control the disease and cover up its deadly wake.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/29/health/china-coronavirus-outbreak.html
4. to test an experiment against another
Marathon running, for me, was the most controlled test of mettle that I could ever think of.
Ryan Reynolds, 1976-
noun
1. the act of being in power
The greatest hero is one who has control over his desires.
Sanskrit Proverb
2. the situation of being under command, domination, etc.
The heart itself is beyond control.
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, 1956-
3. restraint
I exercise strong self control.
W.C. Fields, 1880-1946
4. plural, the arrangement of devices used to power and guide a machine
From takeoff to landing, the autopilots handle the controls.
Bernard Ziegler, 1933-
5. economic regulation
Rent-control laws disproportionately benefit the non-poor because the elite pull strings, work the system and are better connected than the poor.
Larry Elder, 1952-
6. skill with regards to a tool, instrument, technique, etc.
Conscious breath control is a useful tool for achieving a relaxed, clear state of mind.
Andrew Weil, 1942-
etymology
From the Latin preposition contra (against) and the noun rotulus (roll, document) through the Mediaeval Latin noun contrarotulum (register) and French verb controler/contreroler (check, verify), and the French noun controle (checking, verification).
Thank you to Allen Ward for this etymology.