chicken switch

[ chik-uhn swich ]

noun

, Rocketry Slang.

1. a device by which an astronaut may eject the capsule in which they ride, in the event that a rocket malfunctions.
2. egads button.

Word History and Origins

Origin of chicken switch¹

First recorded in 1955–60; chicken ( def ) (in the sense “fearful person”) + switch ( def )