Throttlers

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A device or mechanism that regulates and limits the flow of something, typically fluid or energy
2. An operator who restricts or controls the intensity or pace of a system or process
3. Individuals who impose constraints to reduce efficiency or effectiveness in a given context

Etymology: "Throttler" is a plain English formation: the verb "throttle" with the agent suffix "-er," meaning one who throttles. The verb "throttle" originally meant to strangle or choke, from the noun for the windpipe, "throttle," which is a diminutive-like relative of "throat." Over time it shifted to mean regulating the flow of fuel or steam in an engine, and from there to any restraining or limiting of activity. The suffix "-er" has a longer pedigree. It descends from Latin "-arius," which passed into Old French as "-ier" and entered Middle English as "-er," so the ending is an old and productive one in English. Attached to a verb, it simply names the doer of the action, so a throttler is someone who chokes off, slows, or restricts something, most often in the figurative sense of obstructing progress.