The switch I want will have 4 or 5 positions.
Low voltage Max 14 VDC at one amp
I'd prefer rotary but a slide would work
1) I want a position where no power is transmitted for off
2 ) a lead to connect the switch to Positive
3) and the 3 or 4 other positions to connect the power to different circuits by connecting them to positive - only one circuit is powered at a time.
The negative will be common. The switch need not have any negative terminal.
I have nary a clue what to call this switch.
What is the best vernacular to use to search for such a switch?
Rotary switches come in two forms "Shorting or make before break" and "Non-shorting - break before make". The former is used for selecting audio sources.
You can sometimes find rotary switches with designations as 2-12 positions or whatever. These have adjustable stops for anything between 2 and 12 positions.
So, you need a minimum of 1 pole. More are OK. Then select the number of positions. For the first position, you just don't connect anything.