control
UK[kənˈtrəʊl]US[kənˈtroʊl]
v
To have power over, command, or direct something or someone.
n
The power to influence or direct people's behavior or the course of events.
n
A means of limiting or regulating something.
Etymology
The word 'control' entered English in the late 15th century from the Anglo-French 'contreroller', meaning "to keep a duplicate register, verify by account." This term derived from the medieval Latin 'contrarotulare', from 'contra-' meaning "against, opposite" and 'rotulus' meaning "a roll, small wheel." The original sense was "to check or verify accounts by a duplicate register," a method of authoritative oversight. Over time, the meaning broadened from this specific administrative check to the general sense of exercising power, command, or restraint over any process or entity.
Analysis
The word 'control' is a simplex loanword from French. It does not contain separable, meaningful morphemes in its modern English spelling.
Examples
The pilot struggled to control the aircraft during the storm.
She has remarkable self-control in stressful situations.
The new software provides greater control over the printing process.