torque

1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈtȯrk 

1

: a force that produces or tends to produce rotation or torsion

an automobile engine delivers torque to the drive shaft

also : a measure of the effectiveness of such a force that consists of the product of the force and the perpendicular distance from the line of action of the force to the axis of rotation

2

: a turning or twisting force

torque

2 of 3

verb

torqued; torquing

transitive verb

: to impart torque to : cause to twist (as about an axis)

torquer noun

torque

3 of 3

noun (2)

variants or torc

: a usually metal collar or neck chain worn by the ancient Gauls, Germans, and Britons

Examples of torque in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Our 2026 Toyota Tundra SR5 4×4 wrapped in Celestial Silver is powered by the favorite i-FORCE Twin-Turbo V6 engine, producing 389 horsepower and 479 lb-ft of torque with a 10-speed automatic transmission with sequential shift. —Marc D. Grasso, Boston Herald, 5 Mar. 2026

About 10 years ago, a certain French company called Furion paired a twin-rotor, 654cc Wankel rotary engine with a 40-kilowatt electric motor to produce a massive 180 hp and 151 lb-ft (205 Nm) of instant torque on a motorcycle. —New Atlas, 4 Mar. 2026

Verb

The sculptures, rather than resisting the opulent glamour of their original luxury retail settings, torqued it in a macabre direction. —Rachel Wetzler, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2026

While this threat got a name check by French President Emmanuel Macron in his Davos speech, the focus of European leaders at the gathering has clearly been torqued by Trump’s disruption of NATO, leaving less room to drum up solidarity on that economic front. —Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 21 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Latin torquēre to twist

Noun (2)

French, from Latin torques, from torquēre to twist — more at torture entry 1

First Known Use

Noun (1)

circa 1884, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1959, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1695, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing torque

• torque converter

Rhymes for torque

• bork
• dork
• fork
• pork
• stork
• pitchfork

Medical Definition

torque

1 of 2 noun

ˈtȯrk 

: a force that produces or tends to produce rotation or torsion

also : a measure of the effectiveness of such a force that consists of the product of the force and the perpendicular distance from the line of action of the force to the axis of rotation

torque

2 of 2 transitive verb

torqued; torquing

: to impart torque to : cause to twist (as a tooth about its long axis)