balls-out

English

Pronunciation
  • Audio (AU)(file)

Adjective
The metal balls of a centrifugal governor are pushed apart to a degree depending on the speed of a rotating shaft, providing negative feedback to the throttle

balls-out (not comparable)

  1. (US, idiomatic, slang) Extreme; extremely great.
    • 1976, CBer's Handy Atlas/Dictionary, page 9, column 2:
      He's making a balls-out run for Motor City by nightfall.

Adverb

balls-out (not comparable)

  1. Descriptive of the use of a centrifugal governor at maximum speed, corresponding to full throttle.
  2. (US, idiomatic, slang) With great abandon.
  3. (US, idiomatic, slang) At the fastest possible speed.

See also
  • balls to the wall, a synonymous term whose proposed etymologic connection to this one has been challenged

Anagrams
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