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• rev
  rev

  noun

  a revolution (in an engine or the like).
• rev.
  rev.

  abbreviation

  revenue.
• Rev.
  Rev.

  abbreviation

  Revelation.

rev

¹ American  

[rev] / rɛv /

noun

revs plural

1. a revolution (in an engine or the like).

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verb (used with object)

revved, revving

1. to accelerate sharply the speed of (an engine or the like) (often followed byup ).

verb (used without object)

revved, revving

1. (of an engine) to accelerate; become revved (often followed byup ).

verb phrase

1. rev up to increase in strength or accelerate sharply.

   The economy is beginning to rev up.

rev. ² American  

abbreviation

1. revenue.

2. reverse.

3. review.

4. reviewed.

5. revise; revised.

6. revision.

7. revolution.

8. revolving.

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Rev. ³ American  

abbreviation

1. Bible. Revelation.

2. Reverend.

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rev. ¹ British  

abbreviation

1. revenue

2. reverse(d)

3. review

4. revise(d)

5. revision

6. revolution

7. revolving

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Rev. ² British  

abbreviation

1. Bible Revelation

2. Reverend

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rev ³ British  

/ rɛv /

noun

1. revolution per minute

   the engine was doing 5000 revs

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verb

1. (often foll by up) to increase the speed of revolution of (an engine)

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• revs
  plural

Etymology

Origin of rev

First recorded in 1900–05; short for revolution

Explanation

Rev your engine at a stoplight if you want to race the car next to you. On second thought, don’t — to rev is to crank the engine without going anywhere. Also, a rev is one complete rotation of a motor. Rev, as a verb or a noun, is a shortened form of revolution. As a noun, it’s a rotation of the motor or the number of rotations in a minute. The word has been around since the early 20th century, following the invention of the automobile. Rev can be used for any internal combustion engine, but it's most often used for the zooming sound of a car engine. Rev and revolution come from the Late Latin revolutionem, "a revolving."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

rev rev. Rev. revs revved revving

But as the removal vans rev up again in Downing Street, Burnham's arrival gives Labour a "second chance to make a first impression", according to one minister.

From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026

I’d wager that most people seldom sit by themselves and ponder what makes them tick, what causes their engines to rev, or why they like that one specific thing.

From Salon ● Jun. 15, 2026

Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg has established a Munitions Acceleration Council, which aims to rev production of Patriot interceptors, Tomahawks and cheap hypersonics.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026

But the signals so far suggest an IRS that’s scaling back high-end enforcement just as it was starting to rev it up.

From MarketWatch ● May 20, 2026

I hear Dad rev the car a few times and then open the front door.

From "Please Ignore Vera Dietz" by A.S. King

In Anarchism and Other Essays, 3rd rev. ed.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 15, 2022

Valuable as a short introduction to the subject is Sean Wilentz, “Society, Politics, and the Market Revolution, 1815–1848,” in The New American History, rev. and exp. ed., ed.

From Slate ● Jul. 9, 2015

A journalist still lingers in the twilight zone, along with the trained nurse, the embalmer, the rev. clergy and the great majority of engineers.

From Time Magazine Archive

I thanked the rev. gentleman, at the same time promising to bear the suggestion in mind for a future day.

From A History of the Cries of London Ancient and Modern by Hindley, Charles

Compiled by Dorothy R. Homer. 8th rev. ed.

From The Negro in the United States; a selected bibliography. Compiled by Dorothy B. Porter by Porter, Dorothy B.

The Watts Rebellion and the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. three years later sharpened the political force of her vision.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026

“The couples pledged to create families centered on God,” said Rev. Demian Dunkley, president of the church’s U.S.A. chapter.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 27, 2026

The reunion focused primarily on descendants of Willie Rosenthal’s son, the Rev. Taylor Rosenthal Sr., his 10 children and each of their respective bloodlines.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 21, 2026

But Detroit was in flames following the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., and they stayed.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 8, 2026

In the real world, Mommy was “Mrs. McBride” or “Mrs. Jordan,” depending on whether she used my father’s or stepfather’s name, but in Rev. Owens’s church, she was Sister Jordan.

From "The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother" by James McBride

Alternative producers should curtail supply to prevent a glut as the Gulf revs back up.

From Barron's ● Jun. 18, 2026

“We now model May-qtr revs above the high-end of guidance, with bias to the upside on continued pricing tailwinds,” Weathers wrote.

From Barron's ● Jun. 17, 2026

Styles’ submission to the beat on “Kiss All the Time” will be difficult to maintain as the pop-star machinery revs inevitably to life behind it.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 9, 2026

On top of that, the electronics are not working properly, so the auto-blip on the gearbox, which revs the engine automatically to the right level on down change, doesn't work.

From BBC ● Mar. 5, 2026

We have our last futsal tournament this week, then travel soccer club revs up.

From "Booked" by Kwame Alexander

Alibaba on Wednesday saw its best single share-price gain in 10 months, as the broader Chinese tech sector revved higher after missing the rally propelling U.S.,

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 8, 2026

Occasionally, its operators revved its engine until the tires burned out, which sent gouts of flame and plumes of foul white smoke into the scorching air to block our view of the Washington Monument.

From Slate ● Jun. 16, 2026

An M4 relief road and potential for a third Menai crossing have revved their way back on to the political agenda.

From BBC ● May 29, 2026

Shares have revved 54% higher this year, gaining 25% in April alone, as Solaris has positioned itself to offer on-site energy to data centers for artificial intelligence.

From Barron's ● Apr. 28, 2026

He was tugging at this ratty blue bathrobe, trying to cover his gut, but I was so revved up I just started rambling.

From "Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet" by Joanne Proulx

He attempted to free the car by alternating between forward and reverse, repeatedly revving his engine as his tires spun in the surrounding grass and brush.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026

Private racetracks are revving their engines around the world, popping everywhere from the Mojave Desert to Japan.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 8, 2026

By revving the engine after just two weeks, ap Iorwerth has created an expectation that he'll complete a journey that others have failed to make.

From BBC ● May 29, 2026

Fleshwater’s crystalline guitar leads and tidal currents of noise hit so much harder for the revving percussion, which moves with the dexterity of metal and hardcore.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 9, 2026

My big event for Wednesday is when Mrs. Trent comes to the front door about two o'clock—just as the Duke is revving up his War Wagon.

From "Things Not Seen" by Andrew Clements

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