# throttle

/ˈθɹɑtəɫ/ (US) · /θɹˈɒtəl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/throttle
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. engine control

noun · CEFR B2

the lever or pedal you use to control the speed of an engine, like in a car or plane.

For teachers: a valve or the associated control mechanism (lever/pedal) that regulates the flow of fuel or power to an engine.

- The pilot pushed the throttle forward to gain speed for takeoff.
- As the vehicle approached the steep incline, the driver applied full throttle to maintain momentum against the increasing resistance.

### 3. to limit or slow down

verb · CEFR C1 · Technical

to intentionally slow something down, like an internet connection or a business process.

For teachers: to deliberately reduce the speed or efficiency of a process, particularly in computing or economics.

- The phone company might throttle your data speed if you use too much.
- Network administrators often throttle bandwidth for non-essential services during peak hours to ensure that critical applications remain responsive.

### 4. the windpipe

noun · CEFR C2 · Archaic

an old word for the throat or windpipe.

For teachers: the trachea or windpipe; now largely obsolete in medical contexts.

- The old book described how the smoke felt hot against his throttle.
- In nineteenth-century anatomical texts, the term throttle was occasionally employed to describe the upper portion of the respiratory tract.

## Examples

- 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.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.