4  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Toggle  \Tog"gle\,  n.  [Cf.  {Tug}.]  [Written  also  {toggel}.] 
  1.  (Naut.)  A  wooden  pin  tapering  toward  both  ends  with  a 
  groove  around  its  middle,  fixed  transversely  in  the  eye  of 
  a  rope  to  be  secured  to  any  other  loop  or  bight  or  ring;  a 
  kind  of  button  or  frog  capable  of  being  readily  engaged 
  and  disengaged  for  temporary  purposes. 
 
  2.  (Mach.)  Two  rods  or  plates  connected  by  a  toggle  joint. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  toggle 
  n  1:  any  instruction  that  works  first  one  way  and  then  the  other 
  it  turns  something  on  the  first  time  it  is  used  and  then 
  turns  it  off  the  next  time 
  2:  a  hinged  switch  that  can  assume  either  of  two  positions 
  [syn:  {toggle  switch},  {on-off  switch}] 
  3:  a  wooden  peg  or  pin  inserted  into  the  eye  at  the  end  of  rope 
  in  order  to  fasten  it  to  something 
  v  1:  provide  with  a  toggle  or  toggles 
  2:  fasten  with  or  as  if  with  a  toggle 
  3:  release  by  a  toggle  switch,  of  a  bomb  from  an  airplane 
 
  From  Jargon  File  (4.2.3,  23  NOV  2000)  [jargon]: 
 
  toggle  vt  To  change  a  {bit}  from  whatever  state  it  is  in  to 
  the  other  state;  to  change  from  1  to  0  or  from  0  to  1.  This  comes  from 
  `toggle  switches',  such  as  standard  light  switches,  though  the  word 
  `toggle'  actually  refers  to  the  mechanism  that  keeps  the  switch  in  the 
  position  to  which  it  is  flipped  rather  than  to  the  fact  that  the  switch 
  has  two  positions.  There  are  four  things  you  can  do  to  a  bit:  set  it 
  (force  it  to  be  1),  clear  (or  zero)  it  leave  it  alone,  or  toggle  it 
  (Mathematically,  one  would  say  that  there  are  four  distinct  boolean-valued 
  functions  of  one  boolean  argument,  but  saying  that  is  much  less  fun  than 
  talking  about  toggling  bits.) 
 
 
 
  From  The  Free  On-line  Dictionary  of  Computing  (13  Mar  01)  [foldoc]: 
 
  toggle 
 
  To  change  a  {bit}  from  whatever  state  it  is  in  to  the  other 
  state;  to  change  from  1  to  0  or  from  0  to  1.  This  comes  from 
  "toggle  switches",  such  as  standard  light  switches,  though  the 
  word  toggle"  actually  refers  to  the  mechanism  that  keeps  the 
  switch  in  the  position  to  which  it  is  flipped  rather  than  to 
  the  fact  that  the  switch  has  two  positions.  There  are  four 
  things  you  can  do  to  a  bit:  set  it  (force  it  to  be  1),  clear 
  (or  zero)  it  leave  it  alone,  or  toggle  it 
 
  [{Jargon  File}] 
 
  (1994-12-12) 
 
 

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