toggle

n.

1. A pin, rod, or crosspiece fitted or inserted into a loop in a rope, chain, or strap to prevent slipping, to tighten, or to hold an attached object.
2. A device or an apparatus with a toggle joint.

v., -gled, -gling, -gles.

v.tr.
To furnish or fasten with a toggle.

v.intr.
To alternate between two or more electronic, mechanical, or computer-related options, usually by the operation of a single switch or keystroke: toggled back and forth between two windows on the screen.

[Origin unknown.]

Any of a wide variety of mechanisms, many used to open or close electrical contacts abruptly and all characterized by the control of a large force by a small one. The basic action of a toggle mechanism is shown in illustration a. When α = 90° the forces P and Q are independent of each other. Again, when α = 0° the forces are isolated, force Q being sustained entirely by the frame, and force P serving only to hold the link in position. At α = 45° from the symmetry |P| = |Q|, the mechanism serves to transfer the direction of forces to achieve equilibrium. See also Coupling.

Because the simple configuration of illus. a requires low-friction sliders, it is impractical. A more useful structure replaces the vertical slider with a second link pinned to the frame (illus. b), in which case input P sets up forces in both links. A further modification (illustration c) replaces the other slider with a link. See also Four-bar linkage; Linkage (mechanism).

Toggle mechanism. (a) Simple structure. (b) Traditional configuration. (c) Typical application.

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To alternate back and forth between two states by pressing or clicking the same button. For example, the "Last" button on a TV remote control alternates between the last two TV channels selected. In Windows, pressing Alt-Tab switches the user between the last two open application windows that were selected. See toggle switch.

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(computers) switch between two alternate settings, defined as On and Off. Toggle switches are used to turn on and off formatting attributes, such as italics and boldface; window components, such as toolbars and rulers; display features, such as field codes, nonprinting characters, or text boundaries; and a variety of other software options. Keyboard toggles include the Caps Lock and Insert keys.

To change a bit from whatever state it is in to the other state; to change from 1 to 0 or from 0 to

1. This comes from ‘toggle switches’, such as standard light switches, though the word toggle actually refers to the mechanism that keeps the switch in the position to which it is flipped rather than to the fact that the switch has two positions. There are four things you can do to a bit: set it (force it to be 1), clear (or zero) it, leave it alone, or toggle it. (Mathematically, one would say that there are four distinct boolean-valued functions of one boolean argument, but saying that is much less fun than talking about toggling bits.)

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Dansk (Danish)
n. - aflang pind, håndtag
v. tr. - skifte, invertere
v. intr. - flytte sig ved hjælp af en vippekontakt

idioms:

• toggle switch    vippekontakt, vippeafbryder

Nederlands (Dutch)
knevel, met een knevel vastmaken

Français (French)
n. - bouton de duffle-coat, (Naut) cabillot
v. tr. - boutonner
v. intr. - boutonner

idioms:

• toggle switch    (Comput, Élec) interrupteur à bascule

Deutsch (German)
n. - Knebelknopf, Knebel
v. - mit einem Knebel versehen, festknebeln, (EDV) umschalten

idioms:

• toggle switch    Kippschalter

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - γόμφος
v. - στερεώνω με σκαρμό

idioms:

• toggle switch    (μηχαν.) διθέσιος διακόπτης, μοχλοδιακόπτης

Italiano (Italian)
ginocchiera, cavigliotto, bloccare, collegare

Português (Portuguese)
n. - cavilha (f), pino (m), alavanca (f)
v. - colocar cavilha

Русский (Russian)
(тех.) коленчатый рычаг, колено, (эл.) лягушка, (стр.) костыль, (мор.) клевант, кофель-нагель, застежка

Español (Spanish)
n. - cabilla, pasador, palanca, conmutador
v. tr. - conmutar, bascular, encender y apagar alternativamente
v. intr. - conmutar, bascular, encender y apagar alternativamente

idioms:

• toggle switch    interruptor de palanca

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - avlång knapp, duffelpinne, stropp, handtag
v. - knäppa med pinnar

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
绳针, 套索钉, 拴牢, 系紧

idioms:

• toggle switch    拨动开关, 钮子开关

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 繩針, 套索釘
v. tr. - 拴牢, 繫緊
v. intr. - 拴牢

idioms:

• toggle switch    撥動開關, 鈕子開關

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 비녀장, 장식용 막대모양 단추
v. tr. - 비녀장을 끼우다, 막대로 고정시키다
v. intr. - 비녀장을 끼우다, 막대로 고정시키다

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - トグル, 留め木ボタン

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) مسمار ألعقدة (فعل) يثبت أو يزود بمسمار عقدة‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮כפתור מוארך, כפתור-עץ, קרס בקצה צלצל, פקודה המשפיעה בצורה הפוכה בהפעלה שנייה ברציפות ברציפות (מחשב)‬
v. tr. - ‮התקין כפתור-עץ או חיבר באמצעותו‬
v. intr. - ‮עבר ממצב למצב ע"י שימוש שני רצוף בפקודה (מחשב)‬

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Toddler Toggle Bracelet	Sperry Topsider Billfish Toggle Tan
Tiffany Heart Toggle	Tiffany Toggle Large Link Chain