killswitch
nounUK /ˈkɪl.swɪtʃ/
US /ˈkɪl.swɪtʃ/
A switch that quickly turns off a machine or stops something to keep it safe.
The driver hit the killswitch when the engine started to smoke.
OTHER MEANINGS
2. A hidden feature that lets someone remotely disable a device or software.
The company added a killswitch so stolen phones could be locked remotely.
3. A rule or tool that stops a dangerous process automatically.
The trading system has a killswitch that halts buying when prices crash.
4. A way to end a project or plan completely if it goes wrong.
The team agreed on a killswitch for the experiment if costs got too high.