joy·stick

[joi-stik]
noun
1.
Informal. the control stick of an airplane, tank, or other vehicle.
2.
Computers. a lever resembling this, used to control movement of a cursor or other graphic element for video games and computer graphics. Compare mouse ( def 4 ), stylus ( def 3 ).
3.
any leverlike switch for controlling, manipulating, guiding, or the like.
Also, joy stick.

Origin:
1905–10; joy + stick1

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
joystick (ˈdʒɔɪˌstɪk) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—n
1.  informal the control stick of an aircraft or of any of various machines
2.  computing a lever by means of which the display on a screen may be controlled used esp for games, flight simulators, etc

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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00:10
Joystick is always a great word to know.
So is flibbertigibbet. Does it mean:
a chattering or flighty, light-headed person.
the offspring of a zebra and a donkey.
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Slang Dictionary

joystick definition


  1. n.
    the vertical lever used to control smaller aircraft. : She pulled back on the joystick and the plane took off.
  2. n.
    an electronic control device for computer games and other program control. (From sense 1.) : The ship's first officer used a tiny joystick to control the computer program that guided the ship the next port.
  3. n.
    the erect penis. (Usually objectionable.) : He couldn't seem to stop playing pocket pool with his joystick.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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FOLDOC
Computing Dictionary

joystick definition

hardware, games
A device consisting of a hand held stick that pivots about one end and transmits its angle in two dimensions to a computer. Joysticks are often used to control games, and usually have one or more push-buttons whose state can also be read by the computer. Most I/O interface cards for IBM PCs have a joystick (game control) port.
(1995-03-08)

The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © Denis Howe 2010 http://foldoc.org
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Example sentences
Joystick is a good option for someone who may drive a wheelchair with a
  joystick.
All this information is relayed to the operator as torque applied to the master
  robot's joystick.
At first, the monkeys learned to control the arm with a joystick.
One controls the distant drone, his hand on a joystick, ready to fire off a
  missile at a target below.
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