noun
note; memorandum; personal record
A note or memo kept at hand for later reference. It is a little more written or formal-sounding than the everyday loanword メモ.
担当者の名前を手控えに書き留めた。
I wrote down the person in charge's name in my notes.
noun
holding back; refraining; restraint
Used for deliberately holding off from doing something, often in formal or news-style compounds such as 買い手控え, where people refrain from buying.
価格が高止まりし、消費者の買い手控えが続いている。
Prices remain high, and consumers are continuing to hold back on purchases.