any instruction that works first one way and then the other; it turns something on the first time it is used and then turns it off the next time
"The toggle switch turned the lamp on when pressed once and off when pressed again."
a hinged switch that can assume either of two positions
"She pressed the toggle on her flashlight to turn it from off to bright and back again."
a fastener consisting of a peg or pin or crosspiece that is inserted into an eye at the end of a rope or a chain or a cable in order to fasten it to something (as another rope or chain or cable)
"The sailor tied the boat securely by inserting the wooden toggle into the grommet on the dock."
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.
"The sailor hammered a toggle through the grommet on his belt before securing it with a heavy knot."
In plain English: A toggle is something you can switch back and forth between two states, like turning lights on and off.
"The power button on my remote has worn out and won't toggle anymore."
Usage: As a noun, toggle refers specifically to a pin or rod used as an attachment point for ropes and chains in sailing contexts. In everyday language, the word is almost exclusively used as a verb meaning to switch rapidly between two states with a button or slider.
provide with a toggle or toggles
"The designer decided to provide each garment with a sturdy toggle made of braided leather."
fasten with, or as if with, a toggle
"The heavy curtain is held in place by the thick rope that has been toggled securely to the wall."
To alternate between two positions using a single switch or lever.
"The user pressed the toggle to quickly switch the light from on to off."
In plain English: To toggle means to switch something back and forth between two different states, like turning a light on and off repeatedly.
"She tapped her finger on the screen to toggle between brightness and volume settings."
The word toggle likely comes from an unknown source but may be a playful combination of the verb to tug and the diminutive suffix -le. Its original meaning involved pulling or jerking, which aligns with its modern use for switching between two states by pushing back and forth.