torque

[ tawrk ]

/ tɔrk /

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noun

Mechanics. something that produces or tends to produce torsion or rotation; the moment of a force or system of forces tending to cause rotation.

Machinery. the measured ability of a rotating element, as of a gear or shaft, to overcome turning resistance.

Optics. the rotational effect on plane-polarized light passing through certain liquids or crystals.

Also torc . a collar, necklace, or similar ornament consisting of a twisted narrow band, usually of precious metal, worn especially by the ancient Gauls and Britons.

verb (used with object), torqued, torqu·ing.

Machinery. to apply torque to (a nut, bolt, etc.).

to cause to rotate or twist.

verb (used without object), torqued, torqu·ing.

to rotate or twist.

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Origin of torque

First recorded in 1825–35; from Latin torquēre “to twist”; def. 4 is from French torque, from Latin torques “collar” (the spelling torc is perhaps from Irish, ultimately from Latin ); see torques

Words nearby torque

torpid, torpor, torporific, torquate, Torquay, torque, torque converter, Torquemada, Torquemada, Tomás de, torque meter, torques

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use torque in a sentence

That means the forces and torques on your knees and ankles are smaller, which could be particularly beneficial if you’ve got joint problems like osteoarthritis, or if you are older or overweight.
Scientists Weigh in on the Great Trekking Pole Debate|Alex Hutchinson|October 23, 2020|Outside Online
The Hummer EV promises impressive numbers, including 1,000 total horsepower, 11,500 lb-ft of torque, and a 3-second 0-60 mph time.
The 2022 GMC electric Hummer looks a lot different than you might expect|Stan Horaczek|October 21, 2020|Popular-Science
All that torque and all those gears don’t seem bothered by the addition of relatively minimal weight and height.
Inside My Custom Toyota Land Cruiser Build|Wes Siler|October 15, 2020|Outside Online
As with torque, watt-hours is an apples-to-apples comparison.
Do You Want to Buy an E-Cargo Bike? Read This First.|Joe Lindsey|August 30, 2020|Outside Online

Specs tell you a fair bit, but it’s worth noting that figures like power output, torque, and battery size are all moderated to some extent by the motor maker’s software.
Do You Want to Buy an E-Cargo Bike? Read This First.|Joe Lindsey|August 30, 2020|Outside Online
Without such prodding, the machine's wand simply doesn't have enough torque to move ice cream so formidable.
Dr. Mike’s Makes the Best Ice Cream on Earth|Jane & Michael Stern|July 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“I think the show had lost a certain amount of torque,” he says.
Michael C. Hall on Where ‘Dexter’ Went Wrong and His New Killer Role in ‘Cold in July’|Melissa Leon|May 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
To fully feel the depth of the Russian humiliation, you would have to have witnessed the torque of its rev-up.
Russia's Olympic Choke Job|Michael Idov|February 26, 2010|DAILY BEAST
At the top is shown the torque diagram of a single-cylinder motor of the four-cycle type.
Aviation Engines|Victor Wilfred Pag
A thumb-ring of gold round each man's thumb: an ear-tie of gold round each man's ear: a torque of silver round each man's throat.
The Harvard Classics, Volume 49, Epic and Saga|Various
The torque produced is proportional to the product of the air-gap flux per pole and the armature current.
The New Gresham Encyclopedia|Various
To enable the motor to give a strong torque and run at a slow speed the number of poles in the field and armature is increased.
Appletons' Popular Science Monthly, January 1900|Various
There are various devices by which the torque may be (approximately) got rid of.
The Theory and Practice of Model Aeroplaning|V. E. Johnson

British Dictionary definitions for torque

torque

/ (tɔːk) /

noun

Also: torc a necklace or armband made of twisted metal, worn esp by the ancient Britons and Gauls

any force or system of forces that causes or tends to cause rotation

the ability of a shaft to cause rotation

Word Origin for torque

C19: from Latin torquēs necklace, and torquēre to twist

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

Scientific definitions for torque

torque

[ tôrk ]

The tendency of a force applied to an object to make it rotate about an axis. For a force applied at a single point, the magnitude of the torque is equal to the magnitude of the force multiplied by the distance from its point of application to an axis of rotation. Torque is also a vector quantity, equal to the vector product of the vector pointing from the axis to the point of application of force and the vector of force; torque thus points upward from a counterclockwise rotation. See also angular momentum lever.

torque

Origin of torque

Words nearby torque

Words related to torque

How to use torque in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for torque

Word Origin for torque

Scientific definitions for torque