Plug vs. Switch — What's the Difference?
Difference Between Plug and Switch
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Compare with Definitions
Plug
A fitting, commonly with two metal prongs for insertion in a fixed socket, used to connect an appliance to a power supply.
Switch
A device for making and breaking the connection in an electric circuit
The guard hit a switch and the gate swung open
Plug
An object, such as a cork or a wad of cloth, used to fill a hole tightly; a stopper.
Switch
In electrical engineering, a switch is an electrical component that can disconnect or connect the conducting path in an electrical circuit, interrupting the electric current or diverting it from one conductor to another. The most common type of switch is an electromechanical device consisting of one or more sets of movable electrical contacts connected to external circuits.
Plug
A dense mass of material that obstructs a passage.
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Switch
An act of changing to or adopting one thing in place of another
His friends were surprised at his switch from newspaper owner to farmer
Plug
A usually cylindrical or conic piece cut from something larger, often as a sample.
Switch
A slender, flexible shoot cut from a tree.
Plug
A spark plug.
Switch
A set of points on a railway track.
Plug
A hydrant.
Switch
A tress of false or detached hair tied at one end, used in hairdressing to supplement natural hair.
Plug
A flat cake of pressed or twisted tobacco.
Switch
Change the position, direction, or focus of
The company switched the boats to other routes
Plug
A piece of chewing tobacco.
Switch
Beat or flick with or as if with a switch.
Plug
(Geology) A mass of igneous rock filling the vent of a volcano.
Switch
An exchange or a swap, especially one done secretly.
Plug
(Informal) A favorable public mention of a commercial product, business, or performance, especially when broadcast.
Switch
A transference or shift, as of opinion or attention.
Plug
(Slang) Something inferior, useless, or defective, especially an old, worn-out horse.
Switch
A device used to break or open an electric circuit or to divert current from one conductor to another.
Plug
(Slang) A gunshot or bullet
A plug in the back.
Switch
A device consisting of two sections of railroad track and accompanying apparatus used to transfer rolling stock from one track to another.
Plug
A fishing lure having a hook or hooks.
Switch
A slender flexible rod, stick, or twig, especially one used for whipping.
Plug
To fill (a hole) tightly with or as if with a plug; stop up.
Switch
The bushy tip of the tail of certain animals
A cow's switch.
Plug
To insert (something) as a plug
Plugged a cork in the bottle.
Switch
A thick strand of real or synthetic hair used as part of a coiffure.
Plug
To insert in an appropriate place or position
Plug a quarter into the parking meter.
Plugged the variables into the equation.
Switch
A flailing or lashing, as with a slender rod
Gave the ox a switch.
Plug
To hit with a bullet; shoot.
Switch
To exchange
Asked her brother to switch seats with her.
Plug
To hit with the fist; punch.
Switch
To shift, transfer, or divert
Switched the conversation to a lighter subject.
Plug
(Informal) To publicize (a product, for example) favorably, as by mentioning on a broadcast
Authors who plug their latest books on TV talk shows.
Switch
To connect, disconnect, or divert (an electric current) by operating a switch.
Plug
To become stopped up or obstructed
A gutter that plugged up with leaves.
Switch
To cause (an electric current or appliance) to begin or cease operation
Switched the lights on and off.
Plug
(Informal) To move or work doggedly and persistently
“You may plug along fifty years before you get anywhere” (Saul Bellow).
Switch
(Informal) To produce as if by operating a control. Often used with on
Switched on the charm.
Plug
(electricity) A pronged connecting device which fits into a mating socket, especially an electrical one.
I pushed the plug back into the electrical socket and the lamp began to glow again.
Switch
To move (rolling stock) from one track to another; shunt.
Plug
(loosely) An electric socket: wall plug.
Switch
To whip with a switch, especially in punishing a child.
Plug
Any piece of wood, metal, or other substance used to stop or fill a hole.
Pull the plug out of the tub so it can drain.
Switch
To jerk or swish abruptly or sharply
A cat switching its tail.
Plug
(US) A flat oblong cake of pressed tobacco.
He preferred a plug of tobacco to loose chaw.
Switch
To make or undergo a shift or an exchange
The office has switched to shorter summer hours.
Plug
A high, tapering silk hat.
Switch
To swish sharply from side to side.
Plug
A worthless horse.
That sorry old plug is ready for the glue factory!
Switch
A device to turn electric current on and off or direct its flow.
Plug
(dated) Any worn-out or useless article.
Switch
A change or exchange.
Plug
A book that fails to sell.
Switch
A movable section of railroad track which allows the train to be directed down one of two destination tracks; (set of) points.
Plug
(construction) A block of wood let into a wall to afford a hold for nails.
Switch
A slender woody plant stem used as a whip; a thin, flexible rod, associated with corporal punishment in the United States.
Plug
(slang) A promotion (act of promoting) a product (such as a book, film or play) or other thing (concept, etc), for example during an interview or a commercial.
During the interview, the author put in a plug for his latest novel.
She used her tour of the zoo to work in another plug for conservation.
Switch
(musical instruments) rute.
Plug
(geology) A body of once molten rock that hardened in a volcanic vent. Usually round or oval in shape.
Pressure built beneath the plug in the caldera, eventually resulting in a catastrophic explosion of pyroclastic shrapnel and ash.
Switch
(computer science) A command line notation allowing specification of optional behavior.
Use the /b switch to specify black-and-white printing.
Plug
(fishing) A type of lure consisting of a rigid, buoyant or semi-buoyant body and one or more hooks.
The fisherman cast the plug into a likely pool, hoping to catch a whopper.
Switch
A programming construct that takes different actions depending on the value of an expression.
Plug
(horticulture) A small seedling grown in a tray from expanded polystyrene or polythene filled usually with a peat or compost substrate.
Switch
A networking device connecting multiple wires, allowing them to communicate simultaneously, when possible. Compare to the less efficient hub device that solely duplicates network packets to each wire.
Plug
(jewellery) A short cylindrical piece of jewellery commonly worn in larger-gauge body piercings, especially in the ear.
Switch
(telecommunication) A system of specialized relays, computer hardware, or other equipment which allows the interconnection of a calling party's telephone line with any called party's line.
Plug
(slang) A drug dealer.
Switch
(genetics) A mechanism within DNA that activates or deactivates a gene.
Plug
A branch from a water-pipe to supply a hose.
Switch
(BDSM) One who is willing to take either a submissive or a dominant role in a sexual relationship.
Plug
(aviation) A standard, modular fuselage component that can be added or removed.
Switch
(historical) A separate mass or tress of hair, or of some substance (such as jute) made to resemble hair, formerly worn on the head by women.
Plug
(transitive) To stop with a plug; to make tight by stopping a hole.
He attempted to plug the leaks with some caulk.
Switch
(card games) A variant of crazy eights where one card, such as an ace, reverses the direction of play.
Plug
(transitive) To blatantly mention a particular product or service as if advertising it.
The main guest on the show just kept plugging his latest movie: it got so tiresome.
Switch
(transitive) To exchange.
I want to switch this red dress for a green one.
Plug
To persist or continue with something.
Keep plugging at the problem until you find a solution.
Switch
(transitive) To change (something) to the specified state using a switch.
Switch the light on.
Plug
(transitive) To shoot a bullet into something with a gun.
Switch
To whip or hit with a switch.
Plug
To have sex with, penetrate sexually.
I’d love to plug him.
Switch
(intransitive) To change places, tasks, etc.
I want to switch to a different seat.
Plug
To ingest a drug rectally
Switch
To get angry suddenly; to quickly or unreasonably become enraged.
Plug
Any piece of wood, metal, or other substance used to stop or fill a hole; a stopple.
Switch
To swing or whisk.
To switch a cane
Plug
A flat oblong cake of pressed tobacco.
Switch
To be swung or whisked.
The angry cat's tail switched back and forth.
Plug
A high, tapering silk hat.
Switch
To trim.
Plug
A worthless horse.
Switch
To turn from one railway track to another; to transfer by a switch; generally with off, from, etc.
To switch off a train; to switch a car from one track to another
Plug
A block of wood let into a wall, to afford a hold for nails.
Switch
(ecclesiastical) To shift to another circuit.
Plug
To stop with a plug; to make tight by stopping a hole.
Switch
(snowboarding) Pertaining to riding with the front and back feet swapped round compared to one's normal position.
Plug
Blockage consisting of an object designed to fill a hole tightly
Switch
Pertaining to skiing backwards.
Plug
A wad of something chewable as tobacco
Switch
A small, flexible twig or rod.
Mauritania, on the fifth medal, leads a horse with something like a thread; in her other hand she holds a switch.
Plug
Blatant or sensational promotion
Switch
A movable part of a rail; or of opposite rails, for transferring cars from one track to another.
Plug
Electrical device that fits into the cylinder head of an internal-combustion engine and ignites the gas by means of an electric spark
Switch
A separate mass or trees of hair, or of some substance (at jute) made to resemble hair, worn on the head by women.
Plug
An electrical device with two or three pins that is inserted in a socket to make an electrical connection
Switch
A device for shifting an electric current to another circuit, or for making and breaking a circuit.
Plug
An upright hydrant for drawing water to use in fighting a fire
Switch
To strike with a switch or small flexible rod; to whip.
Plug
An old or over-worked horse
Switch
To swing or whisk; as, to switch a cane.
Plug
Fill or close tightly with or as if with a plug;
Plug the hole
Stop up the leak
Switch
To trim, as, a hedge.
Plug
Persist in working hard;
Students must plug away at this problem
Switch
To turn from one railway track to another; to transfer by a switch; - generally with off, from, etc.; as, to switch off a train; to switch a car from one track to another.
Plug
Deliver a quick blow to;
He punched me in the stomach
Switch
To shift to another circuit.
Plug
Make a plug for; praise the qualities or in order to sell or promote
Switch
To walk with a jerk.
Switch
Control consisting of a mechanical or electrical or electronic device for making or breaking or changing the connections in a circuit
Switch
An event in which one thing is substituted for another;
The replacement of lost blood by a transfusion of donor blood
Switch
Hairpiece consisting of a tress of false hair; used by women to give shape to a coiffure
Switch
Railroad track having two movable rails and necessary connections; used to turn a train from one track to another or to store rolling stock
Switch
A flexible implement used as an instrument of punishment
Switch
A basketball maneuver; two defensive players shift assignments so that each guards the player usually guarded by the other
Switch
The act of changing one thing or position for another;
His switch on abortion cost him the election
Switch
Change over, change around, or switch over
Switch
Exchange or give (something) in exchange for
Switch
Lay aside, abandon, or leave for another;
Switch to a different brand of beer
She switched psychiatrists
The car changed lanes
Switch
Make a shift in or exchange of;
First Joe led; then we switched
Switch
Cause to go on or to be engaged or set in operation;
Switch on the light
Throw the lever
Switch
Flog with or as if with a flexible rod
Switch
Reverse (a direction, attitude, or course of action)
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