throttle

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. A valve that regulates the flow of a fluid, such as the valve in an internal-combustion engine that controls the amount of vaporized fuel entering the cylinders.
2. n. A lever or pedal controlling such a valve.
3. v. To regulate the flow of (fuel) in an engine.
4. v. To regulate the speed of (an engine) with a throttle.
5. v. To suppress: tried to throttle the press.
6. v. To strangle; choke.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. In electricity, to reduce (the flux in a magnetic circuit) by diminishing the cross-section of the iron traversed by the lines of force, or by the introduction of joints or air-gaps.
2. n. The throat. The gullet or swallow: same as throat, 2 .
3. n. The windpipe or thropple: same as throat, 2 .
4. n. A throttle-valve.
5. To choke; suffocate; have the throat obstructed so as to be in danger of suffocation.
6. To breathe hard, as when nearly suffocated.
7. To choke; suffocate; stop the breath of by compressing the throat; strangle.
8. To pronounce with a choking voice; utter with breaks and interruptions, like a person half suffocated.
9. To obstruct by a throttle-valve or otherwise: said of steam, a steam-pipe, or a steam-engine.
10. Synonyms Strangle, etc. See smother.

Wiktionary

1. n. 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. n. The lever or pedal that controls this valve.
3. v. transitive To cut back on the speed of (an engine, person, organization, network connection, etc.).
4. v. transitive To strangle or choke someone.
5. v. intransitive To have the throat obstructed so as to be in danger of suffocation; to choke; to suffocate.
6. v. intransitive To breathe hard, as when nearly suffocated.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. The windpipe, or trachea; the weasand.
2. n. (Steam Engine) The throttle valve.
3. v. To compress the throat of; to choke; to strangle.
4. v. rare To utter with breaks and interruption, in the manner of a person half suffocated.
5. v. To shut off, or reduce flow of, as steam to an engine.
6. v. To have the throat obstructed so as to be in danger of suffocation; to choke; to suffocate.
7. v. To breathe hard, as when nearly suffocated.

WordNet 3.0

1. v. place limits on (extent or access)
2. n. a valve that regulates the supply of fuel to the engine
3. n. a pedal that controls the throttle valve
4. v. kill by squeezing the throat of so as to cut off the air
5. v. reduce the air supply