drosseln

Drosseln is a German verb meaning to throttle, curb, or limit something—typically to reduce speed, load, or the intensity of a process or device. It is used to describe actions that aim to save energy, protect equipment, or meet regulatory or safety requirements.

In practical use, drosseln describes limiting a range of quantities, such as driving a vehicle with a lighter throttle, reducing fuel or air intake, or lowering production or energy consumption. Common expressions include den Kraftstoffzufluss drosseln (to throttle the fuel supply), die Geschwindigkeit drosseln (to slow down), and den Energieverbrauch drosseln (to curb energy use). The term appears in mechanical, automotive, electrical, and policy contexts.

The noun Drossel also exists in technical language as a choke or throttle component, such as a Drosselventil or Drosselspule, which is used to reduce current, flow, or signal strength. In such contexts, drosseln can refer to the act of applying these devices to constrain a parameter, for example by using throttling elements to limit a circuit or a mechanism.

Outside technical uses, Drosseln is the plural form of the German common name for thrushes, a group of passerine birds in the family Turdidae. In this sense, Drosseln refers to multiple thrush species and is unrelated to the verb meaning of throttling.