Speed

English

Noun

Speed (plural Speeds)

1. the state of moving quickly or the capacity for rapid motion; rapidity
2. the rate of motion or action, specifically (mathematics)/(physics) the magnitude of the velocity; the rate distance is traversed in a given time
3. (velocity) distance traveled per unit time
4. swiftness, fastness (a rate (usually rapid) at which something happens) "the project advanced with gratifying speed"
5. hurrying (changing location rapidly)
6. (photography)the ratio of the focal length to the diameter of a (camera) lens system)
7. (slang) any amphetamine drug used as a stimulant, especially illegally, especially methamphetamine (a central nervous system stimulant that increases energy and decreases appetite; used to treat narcolepsy and some forms of depression)
8. (archaic) luck, success, prosperity

Verb

Speed (third-person singular simple present speeds, present participle speeding, simple past and past participle sped (especially US) or speeded (mostly UK))

1. (intransitive, archaic) To succeed; to prosper, be lucky.
2. (transitive, archaic) To help someone, to give them fortune.
3. (intransitive) To go fast, especially excessively fast.
4. (intransitive) To exceed the speed limit.
5. (transitive) To increase the rate at which something occurs

Adjectives for Acceleration

considerable; impressive; breath-taking; effortless; violent; dependable; superior; furious; imagined; convenient; breakneck; impressive; wonted; requisite; initial; amazing; thrilling; noiseless; specified; railway; evil; frightful; uninterrupted; incredible; utmost; high; accelerated; desired; fabulous; surprising; sufficient; diminished; careless; incredible; flashing; electric; lightning; moderate; reasonable; sustained; intoxicating; bidding.

Verbs for Acceleration

accelerate—; arrest—; attain—; check—; curb—; diminish—; exceed—; gauge—; goad to—; maintain—; moderate—; propel at—; regale—; slacken—; spur to—; sustain —; throttle—; urge—; —alarms; —endangers; —exhilarates; —facilitates; —intoxicates; —jeopardizes; —menaces; —outstrips ; —spurts.

See also

momentum; velocity.

Etymology

From Middle English spede (“prosperity, good luck, quickness, success”), from Old English spēd (“luck, prosperity, success”), from Proto-Germanic *spōdiz (“prosperity, success”), from Proto-Germanic *spōanan (“to prosper, succeed, be happy”), from Proto-Indo-European *spē-/ *spʰē- (“to prosper, turn out well”). Cognate with Dutch spoed (“speed”), German sputen (“to speed”), Old English spōwan (“to be successful, succeed”).

Pronunciation

• IPA: /spiːd/

• Audio (US)

  noicon

  (file)

• Rhymes: -iːd

Synonyms

• velocity

Usage note 1

Units:

• metric:
  • metres/meters per second (m/s)
  • kilometres/kilometers per hour (km/h)
• nautical:
  • knot (kt or kn)
• imperial and U.S. customary:
  • feet per second (ft/s, ft/sec and fps)
  • miles per hour (mph)
• aeronautical:
  • mach

Usage note 2

The Cambridge Guide to English Usage indicates that sped is for objects in motion (the race car sped) while speeded is used for activities or processes, but notes that the British English convention does not hold in American English.

Anagrams

• deeps, pedes, spede

Translations

Noun

rapidity

Arabic: سرعة (ar) (sara'a) f. Armenian: արագություն (hy) (aragut’yun) Basque: abaila (eu) Bulgarian: бързина (bg) (bărzinà) f. Czech: rychlost (cs) f. Danish: hastighed (da), hurtighed (da) Dutch: snelheid (nl) f. Esperanto: rapideco (eo) Finnish: nopeus (fi), vauhti (fi) French: vitesse (fr) f. German: Schnelligkeit (de) f. Hebrew: מהירות (he) f. Italian: velocità (it) f., celerità (it) f. (rare) Mongolian: хурд (mn) (khurd)

Norwegian: fart (no), hastighet (no) Old English: ofost (ang) f. Polish: szybkość (pl) f. Portuguese: velocidade (pt) f. Romanian: viteză (ro) f., rapiditate (ro) f., iuțeală (ro) f. Russian: ско́рость (ru) (skórost’) f. Scottish Gaelic: cabhag (gd) f., deann (gd) f. Slovene: hitrost (sl) f. Spanish: rapidez (es) f. Swahili: kasi (sw) Swedish: fart (sv) c., hastighet (sv) c. Telugu: వడి (te) (vaDi) !Xóõ: ʻǁna̰ã

rate of motion

Arabic: سرعة (súrʕa) f. Armenian: արագություն (hy) (aragut’yun) Basque: abiadura (eu) Bosnian: brzina (bs) f. Bulgarian: скорост (bg) (skórost), f. Chinese: 速度 (sùdù) Croatian: brzina (hr) f. Danish: hastighed (da), fart (da) Dutch: snelheid (nl) f. Esperanto: rapideco (eo), rapido (eo) Estonian: kiirus (ee) Finnish: vauhti (fi) French: vitesse (fr) f. German: Geschwindigkeit (de) f., Schnelligkeit (de) f. Hebrew: מהירות (he) f. Hungarian: sebesség (hu) Italian: velocità (it) f., celerità (it) f. (rare)

Japanese: 速さ (hayasa) Korean: 속도 (sokdo), 빠르기 (ko) (bba-reu-gi) Latin: celeritas (la) Norwegian: hastighet (no), fart (no), hurtighet (no) Polish: szybkość (pl) f., prędkość (pl) f. Portuguese: velocidade (pt) f. Romanian: viteză (ro) f. Russian: скорость (ru) (skórost’) f. Serbian: Cyrillic: брзина f. Roman: brzina f. Slovene: hitrost (sl) f. Spanish: velocidad (es) f. Swahili: kasi (sw) Swedish: hastighet (sv) c., fart (sv) c. Telugu: వడి (te) (vaDi) (scientific usage), వేగము (te) (vaegamu)

photographic speed

Finnish: valoherkkyys (fi) German: Filmempfindlichkeit (de) f.

Norwegian: hastighet (no) Russian: чувствительность пленки (ru)

slang: methamphetamine

Dutch: speed (nl) Finnish: vauhti (fi), piri (fi), spiidi (fi) German: Speed (de) n.

Polish: (slang) spid (pl) m. Swahili: kasi (sw) Swedish: tjack (sv) c.

luck, success, prosperity — see luck, success, prosperity

Verb

to go fast

Danish: køre hurtigt (da) Filipino: mabilis Finnish: ajaa (liian) nopeasti German: rasen (de)

Norwegian: råkjøre (no) Swahili: kasi (sw) Swedish: köra fort (sv)

to exceed speed limit

Danish: køre for hurtigt (da) Finnish: ajaa ylinopeutta Norwegian: råkjøre (no), kjøre over fartsgrensen (no)

Swahili: kasi (sw) Swedish: köra för fort (sv)