The accelerator in a car or other vehicle is the pedal which you press with your foot in order to make the vehicle go faster.
He eased his foot off the accelerator.
accelerator in British English
(ækˈsɛləˌreɪtə)
noun
1.
a device for increasing speed, esp a pedal for controlling the fuel intake in a motor vehicle; throttle
2. Also called (not in technical usage): atom smasher physics
a machine for increasing the kinetic energy of subatomic particles or atomic nuclei and focusing them on a target
3. chemistry
a substance that increases the speed of a chemical reaction, esp one that increases the rate of vulcanization of rubber, the rate of development in photography, the rate of setting of synthetic resins, or the rate of setting of concrete; catalyst
4.
(in an economy) the relationship between the rate of change in output or sales and the consequent change in the level of investment
5. anatomy
a muscle or nerve that increases the rate of a function
a person or thing that accelerates or increases the speed of something
; specif.,
a.
a device, such as the foot throttle of an automobile, for increasing the speed of a machine
b.
a nerve or muscle that speeds up a body function
2. Chemistry
a substance that speeds up a reaction
3. Nuclear Physics
a betatron, cyclotron, synchrotron, linear accelerator, or similar apparatus that accelerates charged particles to high energies: accelerators are used for experimental purposes
4. Photography
a chemical that speeds up developing
accelerator in Automotive Engineering
(æksɛləreɪtər)
Word forms: (regular plural) accelerators
noun
(Automotive engineering: Vehicle components, Bodywork, controls, and accessories)
The accelerator in a vehicle is the pedal that controls the flow of gasoline to the engine, which you press with your foot in order to make the vehicle go faster.
He eased his foot off the accelerator to slow down.
She put her foot down on the accelerator when the lights changed to green.
Student drivers need to be able to keep the proper balance between clutch and accelerator.
Examples of 'accelerator' in a sentence
accelerator
For several seconds he was puzzled, as the noise increased and he felt the car slow, not responding properly to the accelerator.
Lewis, Roy A TROUT IN THE MILK (2001)
Yana pulled onto the freeway entrance ramp and pressed down on the accelerator.
Melinda Metz TRUST ME (2001)
Word lists with
accelerator
muscle
In other languages
accelerator
British English: accelerator /ækˈsɛləˌreɪtə/ NOUN
In a vehicle, the accelerator is the pedal you press to go faster.