IPA: /ˈmaɪ.kroʊˌswɪtʃ/
KK: /ˈmaɪkroʊˌswɪtʃ/
A small electrical switch that activates with minimal movement or pressure, commonly used in automatic devices.
The toy uses a microswitch to detect when the lid is closed.
Microswitch is formed from "micro-" (from Greek "mikros", meaning small) and "switch" (from Old English "swiccan", meaning to move or change). The word describes a small switch that can change states with minimal movement.
Think of 'micro-' meaning small, and 'switch' meaning to change — a microswitch is a small device that changes states.
No commonly confused words.