control

con|trol1 [ kən`troul ] noun ***

▸ 1 power to make decisions

▸ 2 power over machine etc.

▸ 3 law limiting something

▸ 4 ability to stop problem

▸ 5 ability to remain calm

▸ 6 switch on machine

▸ 7 in scientific test

▸ 8 check rules are applied

▸ 9 computer key

▸ + PHRASES

1. ) uncount the power to make decisions about something and decide what should happen:

control of: When Marie's father died, control of the business passed into her hands.

gain/lose control of something: Democrats are hoping to gain control of the House of Representatives at the next election.

have control of/over something: Dr. Davies believes that children should have control over their own lives.

beyond someone's control: Decisions on financial matters are beyond my control.

be/come under someone's control: The island is now under French control.

take control of something: When we took control of the company, it was losing money.

2. ) uncount the power to make something such as a vehicle, machine, or animal do what you want:

lose control of something: The driver lost control of the vehicle on an icy road.

regain control of something: He failed to regain control of the aircraft, and it crashed moments later.

3. ) count or uncount a law, agreement, or method that limits something:

an international agreement on arms control

wage and price controls

control on: new controls on the importing of live animals

tighter controls on vehicle emissions

4. ) uncount the ability to stop something from increasing or becoming dangerous:

The police were called in to help with crowd control.

control of: Control of inflation is the administration's top priority.

5. ) uncount the ability to remain calm even when you are feeling upset or angry:

lose control: The defendant had lost control after telling the victim several times to leave him alone.

keep control: They sat in silence, struggling to keep control of their emotions.

6. ) count a button or switch that makes a machine do something:

She adjusted the volume control slightly.

a ) controls plural the instruments used for operating a large vehicle, especially an aircraft:

be at the controls: We were reassured to know that an experienced pilot was now at the controls.

7. ) count a group of people or things that is compared with the people or things being used in a scientific test in order to show whether the test has an effect or not:

Half of the control group suffered further heart attacks, compared with only 12% of those receiving the treatment.

8. ) uncount the process of checking to make certain that rules or standards are being applied:

It took us two hours to get through passport control.

9. ) uncount the CONTROL KEY on a computer keyboard:

Press control and D to delete a line.

in control

someone who is in control has the power to make decisions and decide what should happen:

Dr. Marion is the person in control of all medical decisions in the hospital.

The governing board is in control of the school's budget.

out of control

if something is out of control, people are not able to limit it or make it do what they want it to do:

Forest fires can easily get out of control.

Nobody wants to see inflation get out of control.

We have to keep costs from spiraling out of control.

under control

if something is under control, people are able to limit it or make it do what they want it to do:

It was several hours before firefighters could get the blaze under control.

keep/have something under control: He sometimes has difficulty keeping his temper under control.

control

con|trol 2 [ kən`troul ] verb transitive ***

▸ 1 have power to decide

▸ 2 make something do something you want

▸ 3 make someone act in certain way

▸ 4 keep at right level/limit

▸ 5 stop problem increasing

▸ 6 remain calm

1. ) to have the power to make decisions and decide what will happen to something:

A rebel army was now controlling the northern half of the country.

Most of the news media were controlled by the central government.

a real estate company that controls assets worth $200 million

2. ) to make a machine, system, vehicle, etc. move or operate in the way that you want it to:

The surgeon controls the device remotely using a computer terminal.

I hit a patch of ice and couldn't control the car.

The flow of water is controlled by a series of valves.

3. ) to make people behave in the way you want them to behave:

New teachers often find it difficult to control their classes.

The generals who seized power used terror to control the people.

4. ) to keep something at the correct level: REGULATE:

The temperature in the museum is carefully controlled.

the parts of the brain that control our breathing

a ) to prevent something from increasing too much or too quickly:

Our two priorities are encouraging investment and controlling inflation.

tightly/strictly controlled: Spending in the company was tightly controlled.

5. ) to prevent something harmful from spreading or becoming more dangerous:

We must do more to control the spread of the virus.

a new package of regulations, aimed at controlling pollution and minimizing waste

6. ) to remain calm and not show that you are angry or upset:

Carol struggled to control her anger.

I could hardly control my temper.

control yourself: If you can't learn to control yourself, you'll have to leave.