Design Nomenclature / Form & Geometry
Control point
Also called cv, control vertex, handle, anchor, weight
One of the points defining a curve or surface without generally lying on it — the geometry is pulled toward it, not through it. Moving one changes only the spans its basis function covers, which is what makes a NURBS model editable at all. A weight above 1 draws the curve nearer; the effect is projective, not a proportional blend.
In practice
'CV' in Rhino and Maya; in vector tools, 'anchor' for the on-curve points and 'handle' for the off-curve ones. Interpolating splines, which do pass through their points, are the exception that makes the distinction worth stating.