torque

English

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /tɔɹk/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /tɔːk/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)k
• Homophones: torq, torc; talk (non-rhotic)

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Latin torqueō (“to twist”).

Alternative forms

• torc

Noun

torque (countable and uncountable, plural torques)

1. (physics, mechanics) A rotational or twisting effect of a force; a moment of force, defined for measurement purposes as an equivalent straight line force multiplied by the distance from the axis of rotation (SI unit newton metre or Nm; imperial unit pound-foot or lb·ft, not to be confused with the foot pound-force, commonly "foot-pound", a unit of work or energy)
   • 1978, James Richard Wertz, Spacecraft Attitude Determination and Control‎^[1], Springer, page 17:

     The relative strengths of the various torques will depend on both the spacecraft environment and the form and structure of the spacecraft itself.

   • 2006, Department of Mining Engineering, Proceedings: 35th International Conference on Ground Control in Mining, volume 25, West Virginia University, page 162:

     The drillhead produces the drilling rotation and torque but also must slide out of position to allow the machine to manipulate the finisher drill steel and consumables.

Derived terms

• peak torque
• torque converter
• torque meter
• torque spanner
• torque steer
• torque wrench

Related terms

• torsion

Descendants

• → Turkish: tork

Translations

a rotational or twisting force

• Bulgarian: въртящ момент m (vǎrtjašt moment)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 力矩 (zh) (lìjǔ), 扭矩 (zh) (niǔjǔ)

• Czech: točivý moment m
• Danish: kraftmoment n, drejningsmoment n
• Dutch: koppel (nl) n
• Esperanto: torda momanto
• Finnish: vääntömomentti (fi)
• French: couple (fr) m
• German: Drehmoment (de) n
• Greek: στροφορμή (el) f (stroformí), στρεπτική ροπή f (streptikí ropí)
• Hindi: बलाघूर्ण (balāghūrṇ)
• Hungarian: forgatónyomaték (hu)
• Indonesian: torsi (id)
• Irish: torc m
• Italian: coppia (it) f
• Japanese: トルク (ja) (toruku)
• Korean: 돌림힘 (dollimhim)
• Macedonian: вр́тежен мо́мент m (vŕtežen móment), мо́мент на си́ла m (móment na síla)
• Malay: tork
• Maori: tōpana whakahuri
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: dreiemoment (no) n, kraftmoment n, torsjonsmoment

  Nynorsk: dreiemoment n, kraftmoment n, torsjonsmoment

• Polish: moment obrotowy m, moment siły m
• Portuguese: torque (pt) m, binário (pt) m, momento de forças m
• Romanian: moment de torsiune n, cuplu (ro) n
• Russian: моме́нт си́лы (ru) m (momént síly)
• Slovene: vrtilni moment
• Spanish: par de torsión m, par motor m, momento de fuerza m, par de fuerzas m, par (es) m, torque (es) m
• Swedish: vridmoment (sv), kraftmoment (sv) n
• Tagalog: habyog
• Thai: แรงบิด (rɛɛng-bìt), ทอร์ก (tɔ̂ɔk)
• Turkish: tork (tr)
• Ukrainian: моме́нт си́ли m (momént sýly)
• Welsh: trorym

See also

• metric: newton metre / newton meter (N·m)
• symbol for torque as a variable: τ
• moment of force

Verb

torque (third-person singular simple present torques, present participle torquing or torqueing, simple past and past participle torqued)

1. (physics, mechanics) To make something rotate about an axis by imparting torque to it.

Derived terms

• torque off
• torque up

Further reading

• torque on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Etymology 2

The Dying Gaul wearing a torque

From French torque, from Old French, from Latin torquis; or adapted directly from Latin torquēs (cf. earlier English torques).

Alternative forms

• torc, tork, torq
• torques

Noun

torque (plural torques)

2. (historical) A tightly braided necklace or collar, often made of metal, worn by various early European peoples.
   • 1848, [Edward Bulwer-Lytton], Harold, the Last of the Saxon Kings; […], 2nd edition, volume I, London: Richard Bentley, […], →OCLC, book III (The House of Godwin), page 185:

     But there are the lesser sub-kings of Wales, true to the immemorial schisms amongst themselves, which destroyed the realm of Ambrosius, and rendered vain the arm of Arthur. With their torques of gold, and wild eyes, and hair cut round ears and brow, they stare on the scene.

   • 1887, H[enry] Rider Haggard, chapter XII, in Allan Quatermain‎^[2]:

     People of high rank also wore a torque of gold round the neck, and I observed that our guide had one on.

   • 1911, Arthur Conan Doyle, Giant Maximin‎^[3]:

     “When I see mother next it will be to put a golden torque round her neck,” said the young giant.

Related terms

• torquated

Translations

a braided necklace or collar

• French: torque (fr) m
• German: Torques (de) m, Wendelring m
• Greek:

  Ancient: μανιάκης m (maniákēs)

• Hungarian: nyakperec
• Irish: torc m, muince dhualach f
• Italian: torque (it) f
• Macedonian: торквест m (torkvest)
• Persian: طوق (fa) (towq), گریواره (gerivâre)
• Polish: torkwes m
• Spanish: torques f
• Ukrainian: то́рквес m (tórkves), гри́вна f (hrývna) (шийна)
• Welsh: torch m

Further reading

• torc on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• quoter, roquet

French

Etymology 1

From Old French torque, borrowed from Latin torquem.

Noun

torque m (plural torques)

1. (historical) torque (necklace)
   • 2019, Jean-Yves Ferri, Didier Conrad, La fille de Vercingétorix [Asterix and the Chieftain's Daughter] (Astérix), Vanves: Les Éditions Albert René, →ISBN, page 11:

     Et autour de son cou ?
     Le torque de son papa !

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Etymology 2

From Old French torke, northern variant of torche, from Vulgar Latin *torca, ultimately from the same source as etymology 1.

Noun

torque f (plural torques)

1. (heraldry) torse

References

• “torque”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Galician

A Galician Iron Age torque

Alternative forms

• torques

Etymology

From Latin torquis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtɔɾke/ [ˈt̪ɔɾ.kɪ]
• Rhymes: -ɔɾke
• Hyphenation: tor‧que

Noun

torque m (plural torques)

1. torque (a tightly braided necklace or collar, often made of metal, worn by various early European peoples.)

References

• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, editors (2003–2018), “torque”, in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• “torque”, in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega (in Galician), A Coruña: Royal Galician Academy, 2012–2025

Latin

Noun

torque

1. ablative singular of torquis

Verb

torquē

1. second-person singular active imperative of torqueō

Portuguese

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈtɔʁ.ki/ [ˈtɔh.ki]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈtɔʁ.ki/ [ˈtɔh.ki]
  • (São Paulo) IPA^(key): /ˈtɔɾ.ki/
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /ˈtɔʁ.ki/ [ˈtɔχ.ki]
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈtɔɻ.ke/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈtɔɾ.kɨ/

• Hyphenation: tor‧que

Noun

torque m (plural torques)

1. (physics, mechanics) torque (a rotational or twisting force)

   Synonym: momento de forças

   Para estar em equilíbrio estático, um corpo rígido deve ter a soma de seus torques igual a zero.

   In order to be in static equilibrium, a rigid body must have the sum of its torques equal to zero.

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtoɾke/ [ˈt̪oɾ.ke]
• Rhymes: -oɾke
• Syllabification: tor‧que

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Latin torqueō (“to twist”).

Noun

torque m (plural torques)

1. (physics, mechanics) torque (a rotational or twisting force)

   Synonym: momento de fuerza

Usage notes

• The term momento de fuerza is preferred.

Related terms

• torsión

See also

• torques

Etymology 2

Borrowed from English turkey. Doublet of Turquía

Noun

torque m (plural torques)

1. (New Mexico) turkey

   Synonyms: pavo, guajolote

Anagrams

• quetro, troque

References

• Garland D. Bills, Neddy A. Vigil (2008) The Spanish Language of New Mexico and Southern Colorado: A Linguistic Atlas‎^[4], University of New Mexico Press, →ISBN
• Rubén Cobos (2003) A Dictionary of New Mexico & Southern Colorado Spanish‎^[5], Museum of New Mexico Press, →ISBN