joystick
noun
joy·stick
| \ ˈjȯi-ˌstik
\
\
Definition of joystick
1
: a lever in an airplane that operates the elevators by a fore-and-aft motion and the ailerons by a side-to-side motion
2
: a control for any of various devices (such as a computer) that resembles an airplane's joystick especially in being capable of motion in two or more directions
Examples of joystick in a Sentence
This game works with either a mouse or joystick.
Recent Examples on the Web
It would be flown by an on-board pilot using a pair of joysticks, but the technology exists to eventually fly it remotely and even autonomously, Hanvey said. — Christopher Weber, The Denver Post, "Long road to liftoff for hydrogen-power electric flying vehicle," 4 Aug. 2019 Touchless interaction has liberated gamers from joysticks, offered more flexibility in virtual reality, and allowed people to beckon their drones, no remote control needed. — Wired, "Google's New Gesture Controls Aren't Just for the Pixel," 30 July 2019 The system allows the clinician to move the glove with a joystick and operates over a public 5G network. — Rob Picheta, CNN, "Paramedics could use a 5G-powered 'robo glove' to make quicker diagnoses," 24 June 2019 The updated product comes with a full-sized retro keyboard, a classic joystick and a selection of classic games, including Speedball and Cyberdyne Warrior. — Allen Kim, CNN, "Iconic 80s computer The Commodore 64 to return with fully-functional keyboard," 26 June 2019 Most were operated by someone twiddling joysticks at a safe distance. — The Economist, "Cleaning up nuclear waste is an obvious task for robots," 20 June 2019 The face buttons, triggers, and joysticks are bigger and have more give, there's an actual d-pad, and the whole thing should be sized appropriately for all but the smallest hands. — Ars Staff, Ars Technica, "Dealmaster: Get a Nintendo Switch Pro Controller for $50," 18 June 2019 Atari is also selling a bundle for $389.99, which includes a joystick and a controller. — Jordan Valinsky, CNN, "Atari VCS begins preorders starting at $250," 11 June 2019 The right side of the console is occupied by the pump controls and gauge, and the blocky joystick apparatus that aims water on a blaze. — Dan Neil, WSJ, "When WSJ’s Car Critic Played Fireman for a Day...," 31 Aug. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'joystick.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for joystick
joystick
noun
English Language Learners Definition of joystick
: an upright lever used to control an airplane
: a lever used to control the movement of images on the screen in a computer or video game
See the full definition for joystick in the English Language Learners Dictionary
joystick
noun
joy·stick
| \ ˈjȯi-ˌstik
\
\
Kids Definition of joystick
: a control lever (as for a computer display or an airplane) capable of motion in two or more directions