Plain English Meaning
The actual hardware—cables, rods, and pulleys—that connects what the pilot moves in the cockpit to the moving parts on the wings and tail.
Full Definition
A physical system of rods, cables, pulleys, bellcranks, and similar hardware that transmits the pilot's control inputs from the cockpit controls to the flight control surfaces.
Context Anchor
Seen when learning how cockpit controls move the airplane’s flight control surfaces.
Derivation
From Latin 'mechanicus' (relating to machines) and Old English 'linc' (a connecting piece). A linkage is literally the chain of physical pieces linking one thing to another.