Dictionary

throttle en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• [ˈθɹɔ̟ɾl̩] ~ [ˈθɹɞ̠ɾl̩] (New-Zealand)
• /ˈθɾɒtəl/ (Wales)
• /ˈθɹɒtəl/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• [ˈθɹɔɾl̩] (Australia)
• /ˈθɹɔtəl/ (British, Southern, Standard)
• /ˈfɹɔtəl/ Northern England, th-fronting
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈfɹɔtəl/ Southern England, th-fronting
• [ˈθɾɔtl̩] (Scotland)
• /ˈθɹɔtəl/ (Australia)
• /ˈθɹɒtəl/ (New-Zealand)
• [ˈθɾɒtl̩] (Wales)
• /ˈθɹɑtəl/ (General-American)
• [ˈθɹɑɾl̩] (General-American)
• [ˈfɹɔtl̩] ~ [ˈfɹɔʔl̩] Northern England, th-fronting
• [ˈθɹɔtl̩] (British, Southern, Standard)
• [ˈfɹɔtl̩] ~ [ˈfɹɔʔl̩] Southern England, th-fronting
• /ˈθɾɔtəl/ (Scotland)
• [ˈθɹɒtl̩] (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

From Middle English *throtel, diminutive of throte (“throat”), equivalent to throat + -le. Compare German Drossel (“throttle”). More at throat.

Meanings

1. A valve that regulates the supply of fuel-air mixture to an internal combustion engine and thus controls its speed; a similar valve that controls the air supply to an engine.
2. The lever or pedal that controls this valve.
   • To my unpractised eye, the undulations in the track were quite imperceptible, but the engineer's hand on the throttle was never still. 1961 July, J. Geoffrey Todd, “Impressions of railroading in the United States: Part Two”, in Trains Illustrated, page 425:
3. (archaic) The windpipe or trachea.
   • From the cabin came that horrible song: "Here's to the feet wot have walked the plank. ⁠Yo ho! for the dead man's throttle." 1915, Russell Thorndike, chapter XXXVII, in Doctor Syn:
   • Then up got Peg, and round the house gan scuttle, / In search of goods her customer to nail, / Until the Sultaun strain'd his princely throttle, / And hollow'd,—"Ma'am, that is not what I ail.["] 1817 (date written), Walter Scott, “[Songs and Miscellanies.] Search after Happiness; or, The Quest of Sultaun Solimaun”, in The Poetical Works of Walter Scott, Esq. […], volume X, Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne and Company] for Arch[ibald] Constable and Co.; London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown; and John Murray, →OCLC, stanza XIX, pages 235–236:
   • Nor took a punch nor given a swing, / But just soaked deady round the ring / Until their brains and bloods were foul / Enough to make their throttles howl, […] 1911, John Masefield, The Everlasting Mercy, London: Sidgwick & Jackson, Ltd., page 7:

Forms

Deriveds

throttle jockey · throttle steering · autothrottle · throttlehold · throttle chop · at full throttle · unthrottle · throttleman · full throttle · full-throttle · throttleless · throttle body · throttle valve

Synonyms

gas · accelerator · gas pedal

Translations (51)

he מַשְׁנֵק (valve) · sh pedala gasa (the lever or pedal that controls this valve) · es acelerador (valve) · de Drossel (valve) · tr gaz (valve) · fi kaasupoljin (the lever or pedal that controls this valve) · it acceleratore (valve) · sv gaspedal (the lever or pedal that controls this valve) · pt acelerador (the lever or pedal that controls this valve) · sh papučica gasa (the lever or pedal that controls this valve) · mi katirere (valve) · nb spjeld (valve) · he מַצְעֶֽרֶת (valve) · ru дро́ссель (valve) · cmn 風門 /风门 (valve) · pt válvula reguladora (valve) · hu fojtószelep (valve) · de Gaspedal (the lever or pedal that controls this valve) · sv spjäll (valve) · hu gázpedál (the lever or pedal that controls this valve) · fi kaasuläppä (valve) · es acelerador (the lever or pedal that controls this valve) · sv strypventil (valve) · bg клапан (valve) · it manetta (the lever or pedal that controls this valve) · fr accélérateur (valve) · it pedale (the lever or pedal that controls this valve) · it farfalla (valve) · fi kaasu (the lever or pedal that controls this valve) · hu gáz (the lever or pedal that controls this valve) · sh ventil (valve) · tr gaz pedalı (the lever or pedal that controls this valve) · hu szelep (valve) · cs ventil (valve) · cmn 油門 /油门 (the lever or pedal that controls this valve) · cmn 節流閥 /节流阀 (valve) · nl versneller (the lever or pedal that controls this valve) · mi takirere (valve) · fi kuristusläppä (valve) · ru акселера́тор (the lever or pedal that controls this valve) · fr accélérateur (the lever or pedal that controls this valve) · nb gasspedal (the lever or pedal that controls this valve) · it valvola a farfalla (valve) · fy fersneller (the lever or pedal that controls this valve) · sh вентил (valve) · ga scóig (valve) · ja アクセレレーター (the lever or pedal that controls this valve) · tl panubo (valve) · gl acelerador (the lever or pedal that controls this valve) · ja アクセル (the lever or pedal that controls this valve) · ja スロットル (valve)

throttle en · VERB · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• [ˈθɹɔ̟ɾl̩] ~ [ˈθɹɞ̠ɾl̩] (New-Zealand)
• /ˈθɾɒtəl/ (Wales)
• /ˈθɹɒtəl/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• [ˈθɹɔɾl̩] (Australia)
• /ˈθɹɔtəl/ (British, Southern, Standard)
• /ˈfɹɔtəl/ Northern England, th-fronting
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈfɹɔtəl/ Southern England, th-fronting
• [ˈθɾɔtl̩] (Scotland)
• /ˈθɹɔtəl/ (Australia)
• /ˈθɹɒtəl/ (New-Zealand)
• [ˈθɾɒtl̩] (Wales)
• /ˈθɹɑtəl/ (General-American)
• [ˈθɹɑɾl̩] (General-American)
• [ˈfɹɔtl̩] ~ [ˈfɹɔʔl̩] Northern England, th-fronting
• [ˈθɹɔtl̩] (British, Southern, Standard)
• [ˈfɹɔtl̩] ~ [ˈfɹɔʔl̩] Southern England, th-fronting
• /ˈθɾɔtəl/ (Scotland)
• [ˈθɹɒtl̩] (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

From Middle English throtlen (“to choke, strangle, suffocate”), from the noun (see above). Compare German erdrosseln (“to strangle, choke, throttle”).

Meanings

1. (transitive) To control or adjust the speed of (an engine).
2. (transitive) To cut back on the speed of (an engine, person, organization, network connection, etc.).
3. (transitive) To strangle or choke someone.
   • Grant him this, and the Parliament hath no more freedom than if it sat in his noose, which, when he pleases to draw together with one twitch of his negative, shall throttle a whole nation, to the wish of Caligula, in one neck. 1649, J[ohn] Milton, ΕΙΚΟΝΟΚΛΆΣΤΗΣ [Eikonoklástēs] […], London: […] Matthew Simmons, […], →OCLC:
4. (intransitive) To have the throat obstructed so as to be in danger of suffocation; to choke; to suffocate.
5. (intransitive) To breathe hard, as when nearly suffocated.
6. (transitive) To utter with breaks and interruption, in the manner of a person half suffocated.
   • I have seen them shiver and look pale, Make periods in the midst of sentences, Throttle their practised accent in their fears. c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “A Midsommer Nights Dreame”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i]:

Forms

Deriveds

throttle up · throttle down · throttleable · throttler

Translations (46)

fi kuristaa (to strangle someone) · hu megfojt (to strangle someone) · la offōcō (to strangle someone) · la angō (to strangle someone) · es frenar (to cut back speed) · fi hidastaa jonkin vauhtia (to cut back speed) · sh zagušiti (to strangle someone) · es reducir (to cut back speed) · ru замедля́ть (to cut back speed) · sh oduzeti gas (to cut back speed) · it rallentare (to cut back speed) · sv strypa (to strangle someone) · hu lefékez (to cut back speed) · ru души́ть (to strangle someone) · ota بوغمق (to strangle someone) · fr étrangler (to strangle someone) · cs brzdit (to cut back speed) · sh zadaviti (to strangle someone) · hu lassít (to cut back speed) · cmn 掐死 (to strangle someone) · es enlentecer (to cut back speed) · es limitar (to cut back speed) · la strangulō (to strangle someone) · pl dusić (to strangle someone) · bg задушавам (to strangle someone) · cs škrtit (to strangle someone) · gd tachd (to strangle someone) · es desacelerar (to cut back speed) · es ralentizar (to cut back speed) · bg забавям (to cut back speed) · fr limiter (to cut back speed) · de drosseln (to cut back speed) · hu fékez (to cut back speed) · uk задуши́ти (to strangle someone) · gd mùch (to strangle someone) · grc ἄγχω (to strangle someone) · nl wurgen (to strangle someone) · es lentificar (to cut back speed) · pt estrangular (to strangle someone) · it soffocare (to strangle someone) · de würgen (to strangle someone) · uk души́ти (to strangle someone) · es sofocar (to strangle someone) · mr गळा दाबणे (to strangle someone) · bg душа (to strangle someone) · es estrangular (to strangle someone)