Switchboard

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  switchboard \switch"board`\ n.
     1. an elctrical apparatus consisting predominantly of a panel
        on which are switches or other means of completing
        electrical circuits; -- used especially for the devices
        used in telephone exchanges. See sense 2.
        [PJC]


  
     2. (Telephone) An apparatus containing switches by means of
        which a connection may be made from an incoming telephone
        line to any one of numerous outgoing lines. The switches
        may be either mechanical or electronic, and the switching
        action may be automatic, controlled by signals in the
        incoming call, or manual, controlled by a switchboard
        operator. In older style manual switchboards, the circuits
        were connected by the use of patchcords, inserted into
        plugs.
  
     Syn: patchboard, plugboard, telephone exchange.
          [PJC]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  switchboard
       n : telephone central where circuits are completed with
           patchcords [syn: {patchboard}, {plugboard}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  36 Moby Thesaurus words for "switchboard":
     A board, B board, L, PBX, R, acting area, apron, apron stage,
     backstage, band shell, bandstand, board, bridge, coulisse, dock,
     dressing room, flies, fly floor, fly gallery, forestage, greenroom,
     grid, gridiron, lightboard, orchestra, orchestra pit,
     performing area, pit, proscenium, proscenium stage, shell, stage,
     stage left, stage right, the boards, wings