noun / verb
rev
REV/rev/
An increase in an engine's rotational activity.
The driver revs the engine, sending the tachometer needle higher.
Etymology
Rev shortens revolution in its sense of a complete turn. The engine-related noun became a verb meaning to make an engine run faster, increasing the rate of those turns.
In context
press the gas pedal to rev the engine. To get the engine going, step on the gas.
More examples
- A quick rev of the engine breaks the silence.
- She revved the engine before pulling onto the road.
- Avoid revving a cold engine too hard.
Forms
rev · revs · revved · revving
Similar words
- accelerate
- Emphasizes increasing speed, often of a vehicle rather than its engine.
- race
- Suggests an engine running unusually fast, sometimes without control.