Accelerator: meaning, definitions and examples

Mainly used in British English to describe the pedal in a car that increases speed.

• Press the accelerator gently to start moving

Often used to describe a mechanism that controls the flow of fuel or power to an engine, not just in cars but also in other machinery or vehicles like motorcycles and airplanes.

• He twisted the throttle grip to accelerate the motorcycle

Common in American English to describe the pedal in a car that you press to go faster.

• He pushed the gas pedal to the floor and the car sped off

This term is widely used in American English to refer to the fuel that cars use.

• We need to stop and get some gas before we run out

This term can refer to features in a car that help maintain a constant speed, often synonymous with 'cruise control'.

• Engage the speed control to maintain a steady pace on the highway

Used in general language to refer to something that increases speed or progress, often in technology or business.

• The new software acts as an accelerator for our development process.
• They joined a startup accelerator to help grow their company.

A specialized term used in physics to describe a device that speeds up particles to high velocities, often in experimental research.

• The particle accelerator was used in the experiment to observe subatomic particles.
• Many discoveries in physics were made possible thanks to the particle accelerator.

Specifically used in the context of physics and particle science to describe a machine designed to make particles collide at high speeds.

• The Large Hadron Collider is one of the most famous particle colliders in the world.
• Scientists use the collider to study particle interactions.