torque
Americannoun
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Mechanics. something that produces or tends to produce torsion or rotation; the moment of a force or system of forces tending to cause rotation.
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Machinery. the measured ability of a rotating element, as of a gear or shaft, to overcome turning resistance.
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Optics. the rotational effect on plane-polarized light passing through certain liquids or crystals.
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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)
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Machinery. to apply torque to (a nut, bolt, etc.).
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to cause to rotate or twist.
verb (used without object)
noun
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Also: torc. a necklace or armband made of twisted metal, worn esp by the ancient Britons and Gauls
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any force or system of forces that causes or tends to cause rotation
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the ability of a shaft to cause rotation
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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.
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See also angular momentum lever
Etymology
Origin of torque
First recorded in 1825–35; from Latin torquēre “to twist”; torque def. 4 is from French torque, from Latin torques “collar” (the spelling torc is perhaps from Irish, ultimately from Latin ); torques
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“There’s been some serious torque in this market,” Klar said.
From MarketWatch
The splitter’s decline was due to a mistaken belief it caused elbow injuries, but modern data shows it puts less torque on the elbow.
Glenn Fleisig, the director of biomechanics research at the American Sports Medicine Institute and an adviser to MLB, said that modern technology had made it clear that the splitter puts less torque on the elbow than throwing a fastball.
“Several times we’ve heard feedback from investors that they see more torque and potential upside in the supply chain from those tied to Nvidia than Nvidia itself as a result,” Buchalter said.
From MarketWatch
In Sport mode, the threshold of torque differential between the front wheels goes up, helping put the power down when it’s called for.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.