throttle

[ throt-l ]

/ ˈθrɒt l /

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See synonyms for throttle on Thesaurus.com

noun

Also called throttle lever. a lever, pedal, handle, etc., for controlling or manipulating a throttle valve.

throttle valve.

the throat, gullet, or windpipe, as of a horse.

verb (used with object), throt·tled, throt·tling.

to stop the breath of by compressing the throat; strangle.

to choke or suffocate in any way.

to compress by fastening something tightly around.

to silence or check as if by choking: His message was throttled by censorship.

Machinery.

to obstruct or check the flow of (a fluid), as to control the speed of an engine.
to reduce the pressure of (a fluid) by passing it from a smaller area to a larger one.

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Idioms about throttle

at full throttle, at maximum speed.

Origin of throttle

1350–1400; (v.) Middle English throtelen, frequentative of throten to cut the throat of (someone), strangle, derivative of throat; (noun) probably diminutive of Middle English throtethroat; compare German Drossel

OTHER WORDS FROM throttle

throttler, nounun·throt·tled, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use throttle in a sentence

To be fair, he told me that he would kill me while he throttled my neck, and once I broke free I tried desperately to fight back.
I Was Pregnant When He Hit Me. Here's #WhyIStayed.|Anonymous|September 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
These were men of their time, and their aesthetic interest in the ancient world was throttled by Christian prudery.
The Importance of Adult Classifieds|Hazlitt|September 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Even the king of all search engines can be throttled up with a few simple tricks.
13 Hacks to Improve Your Google Search|Nina Strochlic|September 15, 2013|DAILY BEAST
A: Well, we didn't shut it down—we throttled it back, to be fair.
No Japan Effect: Steven Chu's Plan for Clean and Safe Energy in America|John Avlon|April 4, 2011|DAILY BEAST

But she held him, and, half-throttled, he sank down sideways on the arm of the chair.
A German Pompadour|Marie Hay
The amphibian coasted slowly in toward the beach, throttled down its motors and finally came to a halt.
The Missing Formula|Mildred A. Wirt, AKA Ann Wirt
He screamed once and clutched a stout, hanging creeper and clung there while his cry throttled down to a gasp.
Where the Pavement Ends|John Russell
And by the way he said it I knew what he had in mind, and good friend that he was of mine I liked to have throttled him.
Murder in Any Degree|Owen Johnson
Romashov thought at that moment that his voice sounded peculiar and unnatural, as if he were being throttled.
The Duel|A. I. Kuprin

British Dictionary definitions for throttle

throttle

/ (ˈθrɒtəl) /

noun

Also called: throttle valve any device that controls the quantity of fuel or fuel and air mixture entering an engine

an informal or dialect word for throat

verb (tr)

to kill or injure by squeezing the throat

to suppressto throttle the press

to control or restrict (a flow of fluid) by means of a throttle valve

Derived forms of throttle

throttler, noun

Word Origin for throttle

C14: throtelen, from throte throat

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

throttle

Idioms about throttle

Origin of throttle

OTHER WORDS FROM throttle

Words related to throttle

How to use throttle in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for throttle

Derived forms of throttle

Word Origin for throttle