throttle
n. countablen. the part of a machine that controls how much fuel or power goes to the engine. You use it to make a car, boat, or plane go faster or slower.
n. a device, such as a valve or lever, that regulates the supply of fuel or power to an engine. Often used in mechanical and automotive contexts to describe the mechanism of speed control.
He pushed the throttle forward to make the boat go faster.
The pilot adjusted the throttle to maintain a steady altitude during the turbulent flight.
Engineers designed a more responsive electronic throttle to ensure that the vehicle could accelerate smoothly without the mechanical lag found in older cable-based systems.
From Middle English *throtel, diminutive of throte (“throat”), equivalent to throat + -le. Compare German Drossel (“throttle”). More at throat.
From Middle English throtlen (“to choke, strangle, suffocate”), from the noun (see above). Compare German erdrosseln (“to strangle, choke, throttle”).
Often appears in the phrase 'at full throttle' to describe maximum speed or effort.