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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

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

“Let’s be respectful of the people who reside in those communities — don’t rev your engines, don’t do burnouts, try to show an element of decorum with this hobby,” he told The Times.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 9, 2026

He waited till I had stumbled to the front door, and then I heard his engine quietly rev.

From "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer

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

"The Only or Favorite Child in Adult Life," pp. 253-65. 2d rev. ed.

From Introduction to the Science of Sociology by Park, Robert Ezra

At half-past nine, rev. mother advised our retiring to our cells, as we were to be up early the next morning, and en route for St. Bruno's chapel by half-past four.

From The Catholic World; Volume I, Issues 1-6 A Monthly Eclectic Magazine by Rameur, E.

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

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

Also addressing the May 17 gathering was the Rev. Franklin Graham, a leading evangelical preacher and the president of Samaritan’s Purse.

From Salon ● Jun. 1, 2026

Rev. Brown shook my hand and all the deacons shook my hand and I have never turned back since.

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

But the revs you hear, and therefore the reality you can faithfully report, is completely artificial.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 28, 2026

As if to prove her point, Auntie Nina’s engine revs loudly.

From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila

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

DJ Maia Beth, from Washington, was first on the main stage, getting the audience revved up with a set of "happy anthems" including The Killers' Somebody Told Me and Rihanna's We Found Love.

From BBC ● May 24, 2026

Alaska Air stock has revved 18% higher in April, but remains down 13% this year.

From Barron's ● Apr. 20, 2026

I swung open the passenger door for Mother and revved the engine.

From "Warriors Don't Cry: A Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock's Central High" by Melba Pattillo Beals

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

Even more critically, it is the company’s first test of whether enthusiasts will accept a car carrying the brand name but not the revving, powerful, combustion engine that has defined its legacy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 26, 2026

"Don't stand too close to the fire," they warn on FYA, a deliciously dark serving of Jersey club music, full of revving synths and distorted beats.

From BBC ● Mar. 20, 2026

A former TV pundit, Milei came to power in December 2023 promising shock therapy for Argentina's long-ailing economy, revving a chainsaw as a symbol of his plan to slash state spending.

From Barron's ● Oct. 25, 2025

The newspapers were already revving up for the coming baseball season.

From "Bad Boy" by Walter Dean Myers

Related Words

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