throttle

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
throttle/ˈθrɒtl/

▶noun

• 1 a device controlling the flow of fuel or power to an engine.

• 2 archaic a person's throat, gullet, or windpipe.

▶verb

• 1 attack or kill by choking or strangling.

• 2 control (an engine or vehicle) with a throttle.

  ■ (throttle back/down) reduce power by use of the throttle.

– derivatives
throttler noun.

– origin ME: perh. from throat, but the history of the word is not clear.