Word of the Day
28 August 2026
three-way switch
A type of light switch that can be arranged in pairs to control lights from two locations, as at either end of a stairway or long hallway; a double-throw switch. (UK): two-way switch.
Why this one
Two switches, one light, either one works. A small piece of everyday logic that reliably confuses people wiring it for the first time.
In use
Top of the stairs is dead because someone put a plain single pole in where a three-way switch belongs.
Written by our editors to show how the term is used, not a recorded quotation.Sources
- Definition sourceWiktionary
- Supporting sourceThree-way switchMerriam-Webster