three-way switch
- noun
- Specialized
:
interruptor de tres vías
- Can you install a three-way switch in this hallway?
Examples
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Electricians often use a three-way switch in stairwells for convenience.
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The three-way switch allows you to control the lights from two different locations.
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A three-way switch helps control lights from multiple locations in a room.
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We installed a three-way switch so the hallway light could be turned on from either end.
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A three-way switch allows you to control the lights from both the hallway and the living room.
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When installing a three-way switch, make sure to connect the correct terminals according to the diagram.
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In my home, I replaced the standard switch with a three-way switch so we can turn the lights on and off from different rooms.
Synonyms
A device with three wires that lets you turn lights on or off from two places
Surface Forms
Morphology
A learner who knows 'three-way' (involving three components/ways) and 'switch' (a device that opens/closes circuits) can infer this is a type of switch characterized by a 'three-way' configuration, so the basic compositional idea is clear. However, the specific technical meaning (three terminals, wiring that allows control from two locations) is not directly predictable from the constituents and may be confusing or misleading, so the expression is only partially transparent.
Etymology
The noun three-way switch is named for its inside parts: it has three wire connections (the three) that let two switches share control of one light (the way). Imagine two people at opposite ends of a hallway each flipping a switch to turn the light on or off; that's why it means 'a switch that lets you control a light from two places'.
