Limiter

Limiting: Any process by which a specified characteristic (usually amplitude) of the output of a device is prevented from exceeding a predetermined value.

Limiting can refer to non-linear clipping, in which a signal is passed through normally but "sheared off" when it would normally exceed a certain threshold. It can also refer to a type of variable-gain audio level compression, in which the gain of an amplifier is changed very quickly to prevent the signal from going over a certain amplitude.