control

Pronunciation: kon-trōl′

Definition:

1. To regulate, restrain, correct, or restore to normal.
2. Ongoing operations or programs aimed at reducing a disease.
3. Members of a comparison group who differ in disease experience or allocation to a regimen from the subjects of a study.
4. In statistics, to adjust or take into account extraneous influences.
5. A necessary aspect of an experiment serving as a standard of comparison. A control differs from other aspects of an experiment by a single variable.
6. The regulation of a biochemical process, system, pathway, or reaction.

[Mediev. L. contrarotulum, a counterroll for checking accounts, fr. L. rotula, dim. of rota, a wheel]

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