throttle
part of speech
noun (a throttle, throttles); verb (throttle, throttles, throttled, throttling)
meaning for a pupil
1) A throttle is the control in a car, motorbike, boat or plane that changes how much fuel or power goes to the engine, so it goes faster or slower. tree →
2) To throttle someone is to squeeze their throat so they cannot breathe; this is very dangerous and a serious crime. tree →
3) (humour) «I could throttle him!» means you are very cross, not that you would really do it. tree →
4) To throttle something is to slow it or limit it, like an internet company throttling a connection speed. tree →
sense in the lessons
In science and technology, the throttle controls engine power; pilots and drivers «open the throttle» to speed up and «go full throttle». In everyday chat, «full throttle» means doing something with all your energy. Safety: never put hands or anything around anyone's neck, even as a game. Phrases: «full throttle», «open the throttle», «throttle back».
examples
- The pilot opened the throttle and the plane sped down the runway. tree →
- We cycled full throttle down the hill. tree →
- Twist the throttle to make the motorbike go. tree →
- My phone's internet was throttled after I used all my data. tree →
- «I could throttle my brother for reading my diary!» Mum laughed. tree →
- Never squeeze someone's neck — it can throttle them. tree →
note
Regular verb: throttled, throttling. The joking «I could throttle you» is an idiom for being annoyed; the real act is violence.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «throttle» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.