1a device controlling the flow of fuel or power to an engine:the engines were at full throttle
2 archaic a person’s throat, gullet, or windpipe.
verb
[with object]
1attack or kill (someone) by choking or strangling them:she was sorely tempted to throttle him figurativeinternational sanctions were then throttling the country’s economy
2control (an engine or vehicle) with a throttle:it has two engines that can be throttled
[no object] (throttle back or down) reduce the power of an engine or vehicle by use of the throttle:the pitch of the engine fell as the driver throttled back
Derivatives
throttler
noun
Origin:
late Middle English (as a verb): perhaps a frequentative, from throat; the noun (dating from the mid 16th century in sense 2) is perhaps a diminutive of throat, but the history of the word is not clear
throttle in other Oxford dictionaries
Definition of throttle in the US English dictionary
