speed

[ speed ]

/ spid /

noun

rapidity in moving, going, traveling, proceeding, or performing; swiftness; celerity: the speed of light; the speed of sound.

relative rapidity in moving, going, etc.; rate of motion or progress: full speed ahead.

full, maximum, or optimum rate of motion: The car gets to speed in just nine seconds.

Automotive. a transmission gear ratio.

Photography.

Also called film speed. the sensitivity of a film or paper to light, measured by an ASA or DIN index, which assigns low numbers to slow film and higher numbers to faster film.
Also called shutter speed. the length of time a shutter is opened to expose film.
the largest opening at which a lens can be used.

Slang. a stimulating drug, as caffeine, ephedrine, or especially methamphetamine or amphetamine.

Informal. a person or thing that is compatible with or typical of one's ability, personality, desires, etc.: My speed is writing postcards on the porch while everyone else is tearing around the tennis court.

Archaic. success or prosperity.

verb (used with object), sped or speed·ed, speed·ing.

to promote the success of (an affair, undertaking, etc.); further, forward, or expedite.

to direct (the steps, course, way, etc.) with speed.

to increase the rate of speed of (usually followed by up): to speed up industrial production.

to bring to a particular speed, as a machine.

to cause to move, go, or proceed with speed.

to expedite the going of: to speed the parting guest.

Archaic. to cause to succeed or prosper.

verb (used without object), sped or speed·ed, speed·ing.

to move, go, pass, or proceed with speed or rapidity.

to drive a vehicle at a rate that exceeds the legally established maximum: He was arrested for speeding.

to increase the rate of speed or progress (usually followed by up).

to get on or fare in a specified or particular manner.

Archaic. to succeed or prosper.

Idioms for speed

at full/top speed,

at the greatest speed possible: We drove down the highway at full speed.
to the maximum of one's capabilities; with great rapidity: He worked at full speed.

up to speed,

operating at full or optimum speed.
functioning or producing at an expected, acceptable, or competitive level; up to par: a new firm not yet up to speed.

Origin of speed

before 900; 1965–70 for def 6; (noun) Middle English spede good luck, prosperity, rapidity, Old English spēd; cognate with Dutch spoed, Old High German spōt; akin to Old English spōwan to prosper, succeed; (v.) Middle English speden to succeed, prosper, go with speed, Old English spēdan to succeed, prosper; cognate with Old Saxon spōdian, Old High German spuoten

SYNONYMS FOR speed

1, 2 fleetness, alacrity, dispatch, expedition; hurry. Speed, velocity, quickness, rapidity, celerity, haste refer to swift or energetic movement or operation. Speed (originally prosperity or success) may apply to human or nonhuman activity and emphasizes the rate in time at which something travels or operates: the speed of light, of a lens, of an automobile, of thought. Velocity, a more learned or technical term, is sometimes interchangeable with speed : the velocity of light; it is commonly used to refer to high rates of speed, linear or circular: velocity of a projectile. Quickness, a native word, and rapidity, a synonym of Latin origin, suggest speed of movement or operation on a small or subordinate scale; quickness applies more to people ( quickness of mind, of perception, of bodily movement ), rapidity more to things, often in a technical or mechanical context: the rapidity of moving parts; a lens of great rapidity. Celerity, a somewhat literary synonym of Latin origin, refers usually to human movement or operation and emphasizes expedition, dispatch, or economy in an activity: the celerity of his response. Haste refers to the energetic activity of human beings under stress; it often suggests lack of opportunity for care or thought: to marry in haste; a report prepared in haste.

9 advance, favor.

11 accelerate.

16 See rush¹.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR speed ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR speed

1 slowness.

SEE ANTONYMS FOR speed ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM speed

speed·ful, adjective speed·ful·ly, adverb speed·ful·ness, noun speed·ing·ly, adverb

speed·ing·ness, noun speed·less, adjective mul·ti·speed, adjective out·speed, verb (used with object), out·sped or out·speed·ed, out·speed·ing. o·ver·speed, verb, o·ver·sped or o·ver·speed·ed, o·ver·speed·ing.

Words nearby speed

speechmaker, speechread, speechreading, speechway, speechwriter, speed, speed brake, speed bump, speed camera, speed chess, speed dating

Definition for speed up (2 of 2)

speed-up

[ speed-uhp ]

/ ˈspidˌʌp /

noun

an increasing of speed.

an imposed increase in the rate of production of a worker without a corresponding increase in the rate of pay.

Origin of speed-up

First recorded in 1920–25; noun use of verb phrase speed up

British Dictionary definitions for speed up (1 of 2)

speed up

verb (adverb)

to increase or cause to increase in speed or rate; accelerate

noun speed-up

an instance of this; acceleration

usage for speed up

The past tense and past participle of speed up is speeded up, not sped up

British Dictionary definitions for speed up (2 of 2)

speed

/ (spiːd) /

noun

the act or quality of acting or moving fast; rapidity

the rate at which something moves, is done, or acts

physics a scalar measure of the rate of movement of a body expressed either as the distance travelled divided by the time taken (average speed) or the rate of change of position with respect to time at a particular point (instantaneous speed). It is measured in metres per second, miles per hour, etc

a rate of rotation, usually expressed in revolutions per unit time

a gear ratio in a motor vehicle, bicycle, etc
(in combination)a three-speed gear

photog a numerical expression of the sensitivity to light of a particular type of film, paper, or plate See also ISO rating

photog a measure of the ability of a lens to pass light from an object to the image position, determined by the aperture and also the transmitting power of the lens. It increases as the f-number is decreased and vice versa

a slang word for amphetamine

archaic prosperity or success

at speed quickly

up to speed

operating at an acceptable or competitive level
in possession of all the relevant or necessary information

verb speeds, speeding, sped or speeded

to move or go or cause to move or go quickly

(intr) to drive (a motor vehicle) at a high speed, esp above legal limits

(tr) to help further the success or completion of

(intr) slang to take or be under the influence of amphetamines

(intr) to operate or run at a high speed

archaic

(intr) to prosper or succeed
(tr) to wish success to

Derived forms of speed

speeder, noun

Word Origin for speed

Old English spēd (originally in the sense: success); related to spōwan to succeed, Latin spēs hope, Old Slavonic spěti to be lucky

Scientific definitions for speed up

speed

[ spēd ]

The ratio of the distance traveled by an object (regardless of its direction) to the time required to travel that distance. Compare velocity.

Idioms and Phrases with speed up (1 of 2)

speed up

Accelerate, expedite, increase the rate, as in The car speeded up as it went downhill, or It's difficult to speed up production without new equipment. [Late 1800s]

Idioms and Phrases with speed up (2 of 2)

speed

In addition to the idiom beginning with speed

speed up

also see:

full speed ahead
up to par (speed)

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

speed

noun

verb (used with object), sped or speed·ed, speed·ing.