tog·gle / ˈtägəl/ • n. 1. a short rod of wood or plastic sewn to one side of a coat or other garment, pushed through a hole or loop on the other side and twisted so as to act as a fastener. ∎  a pin or other crosspiece put through the eye of a rope or a link of a chain to keep it in place. ∎  (also toggle bolt) a kind of wall fastener for use on hollow walls, having a part that springs open or turns through 90° after it is inserted so as to prevent withdrawal. ∎  a movable pivoted crosspiece acting as a barb on a harpoon.2. (also toggle switch or toggle key) Comput. a key or command that is operated the same way but with opposite effect on successive occasions.• v. 1. [intr.] Comput. switch from one effect, feature, or state to another by using a toggle.2. [tr.] provide or fasten with a toggle or toggles.

toggle

toggle
1. Anything that can be set to one of two states. It usually conveys meaning, as in “printer on/printer off”, or at a lower level “direct address/indirect address”, or perhaps in a word-processing system “bold on/bold off”.

2. To change the state of a toggle.

toggle (orig., naut.) device, e.g. a pin, to hold a thing in place. XVIII. of unkn. orig.