speed


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Related to speed: Speed test

speed

 (spēd)
n.
1. Physics The rate or a measure of the rate of motion, especially:
a. Distance traveled divided by the time of travel.
b. The limit of this quotient as the time of travel becomes vanishingly small; the first derivative of distance with respect to time.
c. The magnitude of a velocity.
2. Swiftness of action: He wrote the first chapter with great speed.
3.
a. The act of moving rapidly: finished the race in a burst of speed.
b. The state of being in rapid motion; rapidity: The river's speed made a rescue difficult.
4. A transmission gear or set of gears in a motor vehicle: What speed is the car in now?
5.
a. A numerical expression of the sensitivity of a photographic film, plate, or paper to light.
b. The capacity of a lens to accumulate light at an appropriate aperture.
c. The length of time required or permitted for a camera shutter to open and admit light.
6. Slang A stimulant drug, especially amphetamine or methamphetamine.
7. Slang One that suits or appeals to a person's inclinations, skills, or character: Living in a large city is not my speed.
8. Archaic Prosperity; luck.
v. sped (spĕd) or speed·ed, speed·ing, speeds
v.intr.
1.
a. To go, move, or proceed quickly: sped to the rescue.
b. To drive at a speed exceeding a legal limit: was speeding on the freeway.
2. To pass quickly: The days sped by. The months have sped along.
3. To move, work, or happen at a faster rate; accelerate: His pulse speeded up.
4. Slang To be under the influence of a stimulant drug.
5. Archaic
a. To prove successful; prosper.
b. To get along in a specified manner; fare.
v.tr.
1. To cause to move or proceed quickly; hasten: no wind to speed the boat.
2. To increase the speed or rate of; accelerate. Often used with up: speed up a car; sped up production.
3. To further, promote, or expedite (a legal action, for example).
4. Archaic To help to succeed or prosper; aid.
Idioms:
at speed
At high speed: added a spoiler to the car to reduce lift when operating at speed.
up to speed
1. Operating at maximum speed. Producing something or performing at an acceptable rate or level.
2. Informal Fully informed; conversant: I'm not up to speed on these issues yet.

[Middle English spede, from Old English spēd, success, swiftness; see spē- in Indo-European roots.]
Synonyms: speed, hurry, hasten, quicken, accelerate
These verbs mean to proceed or cause to proceed rapidly or more rapidly. Speed refers to swift motion or action: The train sped through the countryside. Postal workers labored overtime to speed delivery of the holiday mail. Hurry implies a markedly faster rate than usual, often with concomitant confusion or commotion: Hurry, or you'll miss the plane! Don't let anyone hurry you into making a decision. Hasten suggests urgency and often eager or rash swiftness: My doctor hastened to reassure me that the tests were negative. His off-color jokes only hastened his dismissal. Quicken and especially accelerate refer to increase in rate of activity, growth, or progress: The skater's breathing quickened as he neared the end of his routine. The runner quickened her pace as she drew near the finish line. The economic expansion has continued but is no longer accelerating. Heat greatly accelerates the deterioration of perishable foods. See Also Synonyms at haste.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

speed

(spiːd)
n
1. the act or quality of acting or moving fast; rapidity
2. the rate at which something moves, is done, or acts
3. (General Physics) 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
4. (Mechanical Engineering) a rate of rotation, usually expressed in revolutions per unit time
5. (Mechanical Engineering)
a. a gear ratio in a motor vehicle, bicycle, etc
b. (in combination): a three-speed gear.
6. (Photography) photog a numerical expression of the sensitivity to light of a particular type of film, paper, or plate. See also ISO rating
7. (Photography) 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
8. (Recreational Drugs) a slang word for amphetamine
9. archaic prosperity or success
10. at speed quickly
11. up to speed
a. operating at an acceptable or competitive level
b. in possession of all the relevant or necessary information
vb, speeds, speeding, sped or speeded
12. to move or go or cause to move or go quickly
13. (Law) (intr) to drive (a motor vehicle) at a high speed, esp above legal limits
14. (Automotive Engineering) (intr) to drive (a motor vehicle) at a high speed, esp above legal limits
15. (tr) to help further the success or completion of
16. (Recreational Drugs) (intr) slang to take or be under the influence of amphetamines
17. (Mechanical Engineering) (intr) to operate or run at a high speed
18. archaic
a. (intr) to prosper or succeed
b. (tr) to wish success to
[Old English spēd (originally in the sense: success); related to spōwan to succeed, Latin spēs hope, Old Slavonic spěti to be lucky]
ˈspeeder n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

speed

(spid)

n., v. sped speed•ed, speed•ing. n.
1. rapidity in moving, traveling, performing, etc.; swiftness.
2. relative rate of motion or progress: the speed of light.
3. a gear ratio in a motor vehicle or bicycle.
4.
a. the sensitivity of a photographic film or paper to light.
b. the length of time a shutter is opened to expose film.
c. the largest opening at which a lens can be used.
5. Slang. a stimulating drug, esp. methamphetamine or amphetamine.
6. a person, thing, activity, etc., that suits one's ability, inclinations, or personality: Quiet, easygoing people are more my speed.
7. Archaic. success or prosperity.
v.t.
8. to promote the success of; further, forward, or expedite.
9. to direct (the course, way, etc.) with speed.
10. to increase the rate of speed of (usu. fol. by up): to speed up production.
11. to cause to move or go with speed.
12. Archaic. to cause to succeed or prosper.
v.i.
13. to go or proceed with rapidity.
14. to drive a vehicle at a rate that exceeds the legal limit.
15. to increase the rate of speed (usu. fol. by up).
16. to get on or fare in a specified or particular manner.
17. Archaic. to succeed or prosper.
Idioms:
1. at full or top speed,
a. at the greatest speed possible.
b. to the maximum of one's capabilities.
2. up to speed,
a. operating at full or optimum speed.
b. functioning at an anticipated or competitive level: a new firm not yet up to speed.
[before 900; (n.) Middle English spede good luck, prosperity, rapidity, Old English spēd, c. Old Saxon spōd, Old High German spuot]
speed′er, n.
syn: speed, velocity, celerity refer to swift or energetic movement or operation. speed may apply to human or nonhuman activity; it emphasizes the rate in time at which something travels or operates: the speed of an automobile; the speed of thought. velocity, a more technical term, is commonly used to refer to high rates of speed: the velocity of a projectile. celerity, a somewhat literary term, usu. refers to human movement or operation, and emphasizes dispatch or economy in an activity: the celerity of his response.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

Speed

 

See Also: RUNNING

  1. (Poems have become) as instant as coffee or onion soup mix —Donald Hall
  2. (They’ll whip her back … ) as quick as shit through a goose —Derek Lambert
  3. As swift as meditation, or the thoughts of love —William Shakespeare
  4. As swiftly as a reach of still water is crisped by the wind —Rudyard Kipling
  5. Be not in a hurry, like the almond, first to blossom and last to ripen. Be rather like the mulberry, last to blossom and first to ripen —The Holy Bible/Apocrypha
  6. The crowd was moving fast … like a big spread ravelling, and the separate threads disappeared down the dark street —Flannery O’Connor
  7. Drive [a car] like the hounds of hell —Rosamund Pilcher
  8. Fast as a bird on the wing —Anon
  9. Fast as a cat scurrying up a tree at the approach of a strange dog —Anon
  10. Fast as a cook cracks eggs —Thomas Nash
  11. Fast as a heartbeat —John D. MacDonald
  12. Fast as a jet —Mark Helprin
  13. Fast as a pickpocket —Anon
  14. Fast as a propeller —Bertold Brecht
  15. (Scrambles into the room,) fast as a spider —Robert Silverberg
  16. Fast as greased lightning —American colloquialism
  17. Fast as the blink of an eye —Anon
  18. Fast-moving as the gray fox that climbs trees after squirrels —Marge Piercy
  19. (Little and) fleet as a terrier running beside a bloodhound —Erich Maria Remarque
  20. (To vanish,) fleet as days and months and years, fleet as the generations of mankind —William Wordsworth
  21. Flying like ice in a sleet storm —Ben Ames Williams
  22. Fly like a donkey with pepper up its behind —Aharon Megged
  23. Galloped through [religious mass] like a man with witches after him —Edith Wharton
  24. Goes like a ship-lash flicked across a horse’s neck —Rudyard Kipling
  25. Going like flames —Samuel Beckett
  26. Going like sixty —F. D. Reeve
  27. Go like a house afire —Anon

    One of many “Go like” similes that have worked their way into the American language mainstream since the late 1830s. Some other examples: “Go like a shot,” “Go like hell” and “Go like mad.”

  28. Go through like a dose of salts —American colloquialism

    While purgative salts are pretty much a thing of the past, the simile endures as a way to describe a very rapid pace. With the penchant for brand names, “Go through like Ex-Lax” has become a common alternative.

  29. Go through them [reading materials] like a kid through potato chips —James Crumley
  30. He rushed past her like a football tackle —James Thurber
  31. (Wedding plans were) hurtling along like a train on tracks —Paul Reidinger
  32. Insectlike swiftness —Saul Bellow
  33. It must be done like lightning —Ben Jonson
  34. Just a glance, like passing your eyes over the spines of books without being able to read the title … that quick —Arthur A. Cohen

    See Also: LOOKS

  35. (Scurried off, his) legs going like a windmill —Paige Mitchell

    See Also: MOVEMENT

  36. Like a sunbeam, swift and bright —Sir Walter Scott
  37. Move with the speed of a Grand Prix Racer —Anon
  38. Moving fast as a train —Anon
  39. My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle —The Holy Bible/Job

    While this simile is not much used these days, it is the one that has seeded the many contemporary variations.

  40. Quick and nimble, more like a bear than a squirrel —Henry G. Bohn’s Handbook of Proverbs
  41. Quick as a lizard —Anthony Trollope
  42. Quick as an attack dog —Gloria Norris
  43. (Acted) quick as a knife —Penelope Gilliatt
  44. (The wolf … ate her up as) quick as a slap —Anne Sexton
  45. Quick as a striking snake —George Garrett
  46. Quick as a weasel —Robert B. Parker
  47. Quick as a wink —Anon

    While variations such as “Quick as dust” and “Quick as scat” have faded from the American vocabulary, “Quick as a wink” endures to the point of overuse.

  48. (Goes) quick as light —Noël Coward, lyrics for “Chase Me Charlie”
  49. Quick as lightning —Frances Sheridan

    The American adaption of the simile first used by Sheridan in a play named Discovery is “Quick as greased lightning.”

  50. Quick as mercury —Marguerite Yourcenar
  51. (Slipped down) quick as minnows —Marge Piercy
  52. (Barry’s eye was as) quick as sound —Frank Swinnerton
  53. Quicker than a crab underwater —John Updike
  54. Quicker than boiling asparagus —Caesar Augustus

    According to Stevenson’s Proverbs, Maxims and Famous Sayings, Augustus used this expression whenever he wanted anything to be done fast.

  55. Quick on his feet as a running deer —Stephen Vincent Benét
  56. (Lavella’s brain) raced like a trapped rabbit —William Beechcroft
  57. (Feet) rapid as the river —Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
  58. Rash as fire —William Shakespeare
  59. (Raleigh) rushed through (these hypotheses) like rosary beads —Michael Malone
  60. (Men) rushing like they were bolt out of a cannon —Richard Ford
  61. Rushing wildly from room to room like a flustered hen —Christopher Isherwood
  62. Scurried like a crab —Michael Malone
  63. She was so swift … it was like having a small cute dog with you —Isak Dinesen
  64. Some people are too fast for their own good, like Asahel in the Book of Samuel —Saul Bellow
  65. Sped around like intergalactic missiles —Lisa Harris

    Harris’s simile describes the activity of the Lubavitcher women in Crown Heights, the subject of her book The World of a Hasidic Family.

  66. (The game) speeds along like a fast freight —W. P. Kinsella

    The game speeding along is baseball, the background for The Iowa Baseball Confederacy and other Kinsella novels.

  67. Speedy as a steam roller —George Ade
  68. Started for me (as to attack) like a streak of lightning —Rex Stout
  69. Swift as a cloud between sea and sky —Percy Bysshe Shelley
  70. Swift as a greyhound —Ouida
  71. Swift as a mugger —David Leavitt
  72. Swift as an arrow —Anon

    This has been attributed to numerous sources dating back to the early seventeenth century.

  73. Swift as a plunging knife —Rudyard Kipling
  74. Swift as a shadow —William Shakespeare
  75. Swift as desire —Mary Pix
  76. Swift as fear —Thomas Parnell
  77. Swift as the eagle (flieth) —The Holy Bible/Deuteronomy
  78. Swift as the waters —The Holy Bible/Job
  79. Swift as thought —William Shakespeare
  80. Swift as unbridled rage —Henry Abbey
  81. Swifter than the wind —William Shakespeare
  82. Swift in motion as a ball —William Shakespeare
  83. (Fluttering her bristly black lashes as) swiftly as butterflies’ wings —Margaret Mitchell

    The girl fluttering her lashes is Scarlett O’Hara of Gone with the Wind fame.

  84. Travelling fast as a wish —Elizabeth Bishop
  85. (The race) went by like an express train —Enid Bagnold
  86. (She dressed and) went off like a top with the whip behind it —Vicki Baum
  87. Went past … like lightning past a hill —Jessamyn West
  88. Went through it like a clown through a paper hoop —Temole Scott
  89. Went through like shit through a tin horn —American colloquialism
Similes Dictionary, 1st Edition. © 1988 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

speed

Fast, quick, rapid, and swift are all used to say taht something moves or happens with great speed. Rapid and swift are not usually used in conversation.

Fast is used both as an adjective and an adverb. There is no adverb 'fastly'.

...fast communications.
I ran as fast as I could.
1. 'quick'

Quick is an adjective. You do not usually used it as an adverb. Instead you use the adverb quickly.

It is this muscle which gives us our quick, springing movements.
I walked quickly up the passage.

In conversation, you can use the comparative form quicker as an adverb.

I swam on a bit quicker.
Goats could ruin a farmer's field quicker than baboons.
He began to speak more quickly.

You can use the superlative form quickest as an adverb in speech or writing.

...and Freedman reacted quickest to head the ball into the net.
2. 'rapid' and 'swift'

Rapid and swift are adjectives. The corresponding adverbs are rapidly and swiftly.

Jobs tend to be plentiful at a time of rapid economic growth.
They walked rapidly past the churchyard.
...a swift decision.
He walked swiftly towards home.
3. asking about speed

Fast is the word you usually use when you are asking about the speed of something.

How fast is the fish swimming?
...looking out of the window to see how fast we were going.
4. vehicles

You use fast to say that a vehicle is capable of moving with great speed.

...a fastcar.
5. people

You do not usually use fast to talk about people, but you can use it in front of words like driver and runner to say that someone drives quickly or is capable of running quickly.

Not being a fast runner, I was glad I had parked close to the hall.
6. changes

When you are talking about the speed at which something increases or decreases, you usually use rapid.

People are worried about the rapid and massive increase in military spending.
7. no delay

Fast, immediate, quick, rapid, and swift are all used to say that something happens without any delay.

I only got a fast return on my investment once.
My immediate reaction was just disgust.
They are pressing for a quick resumption of arms negotiations.
... managers plagued by demands for rapid decisions.
The response was swift and intense.
8. short duration

You can use quick, rapid, or swift to say that something lasts only a short time.

...a quick visit.
You are likely to make a rapid recovery.
...the swift descent from tentility to near-poverty.

speed

speed up

Speed can be a noun or a verb.

1. used as a noun

The speed of someone or something is the rate at which they move.

He increased his speed to 115mph.
...the speed of light.

Speed is often used in prepositional phrases beginning with at or with.

You can say that someone or something moves at a particular speed.

He goes on driving at the same speed.
The bullets hit Ilie Popescu at a speed of 1,350 feet per second.

If you want to emphasize how fast something is moving, you can use at and an adjective in front of speed.

I drove at great speed to West Bank.
A plane flew low over the ship at lightning speed.

If you want to emphasize how quickly something happens or is done, you use with and an adjective in front of speed.

The shape of their bodies changes with astonishing speed.
They have succeeded in expanding their industries with remarkable speed.
2. used as a verb

In stories, if someone speeds somewhere, they move or travel there quickly. When speed has this meaning, its past tense and past participle is sped.

They sped along Main Street towards the highway.
They drove through Port Philip and sped on down south.
3. 'speed up'

If something speeds up or if you speed it up, it moves, happens, or is done more quickly.

They're way ahead of us. Speed up!

The past tense and past participle of speed up is speeded up.

Tom speeded up and overtook them.
The process is now being speeded up.
Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012

speed


Past participle: speeded/sped
Gerund: speeding

Imperative
speed
speed
Present
I speed
you speed
he/she/it speeds
we speed
you speed
they speed
Preterite
I speeded/sped
you speeded/sped
he/she/it speeded/sped
we speeded/sped
you speeded/sped
they speeded/sped
Present Continuous
I am speeding
you are speeding
he/she/it is speeding
we are speeding
you are speeding
they are speeding
Present Perfect
I have speeded/sped
you have speeded/sped
he/she/it has speeded/sped
we have speeded/sped
you have speeded/sped
they have speeded/sped
Past Continuous
I was speeding
you were speeding
he/she/it was speeding
we were speeding
you were speeding
they were speeding
Past Perfect
I had speeded/sped
you had speeded/sped
he/she/it had speeded/sped
we had speeded/sped
you had speeded/sped
they had speeded/sped
Future
I will speed
you will speed
he/she/it will speed
we will speed
you will speed
they will speed
Future Perfect
I will have speeded/sped
you will have speeded/sped
he/she/it will have speeded/sped
we will have speeded/sped
you will have speeded/sped
they will have speeded/sped
Future Continuous
I will be speeding
you will be speeding
he/she/it will be speeding
we will be speeding
you will be speeding
they will be speeding
Present Perfect Continuous
I have been speeding
you have been speeding
he/she/it has been speeding
we have been speeding
you have been speeding
they have been speeding
Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been speeding
you will have been speeding
he/she/it will have been speeding
we will have been speeding
you will have been speeding
they will have been speeding
Past Perfect Continuous
I had been speeding
you had been speeding
he/she/it had been speeding
we had been speeding
you had been speeding
they had been speeding
Conditional
I would speed
you would speed
he/she/it would speed
we would speed
you would speed
they would speed
Past Conditional
I would have speeded/sped
you would have speeded/sped
he/she/it would have speeded/sped
we would have speeded/sped
you would have speeded/sped
they would have speeded/sped
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.speed - distance travelled per unit timespeed - distance travelled per unit time  
angular velocity - (physics) the rate of change of the angular position of a rotating body; usually expressed in radians per second or radians per minute
airspeed - the speed of an aircraft relative to the air in which it is flying
escape velocity - the minimum velocity needed to escape a gravitational field
groundspeed - the speed of an aircraft relative to the ground
hypervelocity - excessive velocity; "the meteorites struck the earth with hypervelocity impacts"
muzzle velocity - the velocity of a projectile as it leaves the muzzle of a gun
peculiar velocity - velocity with respect to the local standard of rest
radial velocity - velocity along the line of sight toward or away from the observer
light speed, speed of light, c - the speed at which light travels in a vacuum; the constancy and universality of the speed of light is recognized by defining it to be exactly 299,792,458 meters per second
steerageway - (nautical) the minimum rate of motion needed for a vessel to be maneuvered
terminal velocity - the constant maximum velocity reached by a body falling through the atmosphere under the attraction of gravity
rate - a magnitude or frequency relative to a time unit; "they traveled at a rate of 55 miles per hour"; "the rate of change was faster than expected"
2.speed - a rate (usually rapid) at which something happens; "the project advanced with gratifying speed"
pace, rate - the relative speed of progress or change; "he lived at a fast pace"; "he works at a great rate"; "the pace of events accelerated"
haste, hastiness, hurriedness, hurry, precipitation - overly eager speed (and possible carelessness); "he soon regretted his haste"
execution speed - (computer science) the speed with which a computational device can execute instructions; measured in MIPS
graduality, gradualness - the quality of being gradual or of coming about by gradual stages
3.speed - changing location rapidlyspeed - changing location rapidly    
movement, move, motion - the act of changing location from one place to another; "police controlled the motion of the crowd"; "the movement of people from the farms to the cities"; "his move put him directly in my path"
speedup, acceleration, quickening - the act of accelerating; increasing the speed
deceleration - the act of decelerating; decreasing the speed; "he initiated deceleration by braking"
scud, scudding - the act of moving along swiftly (as before a gale)
4.speed - the ratio of the focal length to the diameter of a (camera) lens system
ratio - the relative magnitudes of two quantities (usually expressed as a quotient)
5.speed - a central nervous system stimulant that increases energy and decreases appetitespeed - a central nervous system stimulant that increases energy and decreases appetite; used to treat narcolepsy and some forms of depression
amphetamine sulfate, amphetamine sulphate - a sulfate derivative of amphetamine that is used as a stimulant for the central nervous system
bennie, Benzedrine - a form of amphetamine
Dexedrine, dextroamphetamine sulphate - an isomer of amphetamine (trade name Dexedrine) used as a central nervous system stimulant
drug of abuse, street drug - a drug that is taken for nonmedicinal reasons (usually for mind-altering effects); drug abuse can lead to physical and mental damage and (with some substances) dependence and addiction
deoxyephedrine, meth, methamphetamine, methamphetamine hydrochloride, Methedrine, shabu, chicken feed, crank, chalk, trash, glass, ice - an amphetamine derivative (trade name Methedrine) used in the form of a crystalline hydrochloride; used as a stimulant to the nervous system and as an appetite suppressant
excitant, stimulant drug, stimulant - a drug that temporarily quickens some vital process
Verb1.speed - move fastspeed - move fast; "He rushed down the hall to receive his guests"; "The cars raced down the street"
go, locomote, move, travel - change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically; "How fast does your new car go?"; "We travelled from Rome to Naples by bus"; "The policemen went from door to door looking for the suspect"; "The soldiers moved towards the city in an attempt to take it before night fell"; "news travelled fast"
barge, push forward, thrust ahead - push one's way; "she barged into the meeting room"
shoot down, tear, buck, charge, shoot - move quickly and violently; "The car tore down the street"; "He came charging into my office"
dash, scoot, scud, dart, flash, shoot - run or move very quickly or hastily; "She dashed into the yard"
accelerate, quicken, speed up, speed - move faster; "The car accelerated"
2.speed - move fasterspeed - move faster; "The car accelerated"  
brisk, brisk up, brisken - become brisk; "business brisked up"
deepen, intensify - become more intense; "The debate intensified"; "His dislike for raw fish only deepened in Japan"
3.speed - move very fastspeed - move very fast; "The runner zipped past us at breakneck speed"
go, locomote, move, travel - change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically; "How fast does your new car go?"; "We travelled from Rome to Naples by bus"; "The policemen went from door to door looking for the suspect"; "The soldiers moved towards the city in an attempt to take it before night fell"; "news travelled fast"
dart, fleet, flit, flutter - move along rapidly and lightly; skim or dart; "The hummingbird flitted among the branches"
run - move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time; "Don't run--you'll be out of breath"; "The children ran to the store"
whizz along, zoom, zoom along, whizz - move along very quickly
accelerate, quicken, speed up, speed - move faster; "The car accelerated"
4.speed - travel at an excessive or illegal velocity; "I got a ticket for speeding"
go, locomote, move, travel - change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically; "How fast does your new car go?"; "We travelled from Rome to Naples by bus"; "The policemen went from door to door looking for the suspect"; "The soldiers moved towards the city in an attempt to take it before night fell"; "news travelled fast"
5.speed - cause to move fasterspeed - cause to move faster; "He accelerated the car"
alter, change, modify - cause to change; make different; cause a transformation; "The advent of the automobile may have altered the growth pattern of the city"; "The discussion has changed my thinking about the issue"
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

speed

noun
1. rate, pace, momentum, tempo, velocity He drove off at high speed.
2. velocity, swiftness, acceleration, precipitation, rapidity, quickness, fastness, briskness, speediness, precipitateness Speed is the essential ingredient of all athletics.
3. swiftness, rush, hurry, expedition, haste, rapidity, quickness, fleetness, celerity I was amazed at his speed of working.
swiftness slowness, sluggishness, tardiness, delay
verb
1. race, rush, hurry, zoom, career, bomb (along), tear, flash, belt (along) (slang), barrel (along) (informal, chiefly U.S. & Canad.), sprint, gallop, hasten, press on, quicken, lose no time, get a move on (informal), burn rubber (informal), bowl along, put your foot down (informal), step on it (informal), make haste, go hell for leather (informal), exceed the speed limit, go like a bomb (Brit. & N.Z. informal), go like the wind, go like a bat out of hell The engine noise rises only slightly as I speed along.
race creep, crawl, take your time, dawdle, tarry
2. exceed the speed limit, drive too fast, break the speed limit This man was not qualified to drive and was speeding.
3. help, further, advance, aid, promote, boost, assist, facilitate, fast-track, impel, expedite Invest in low-cost language courses to speed your progress.
help slow, delay, hold up, hamper, hinder, retard, slow down
speed something up accelerate, promote, hasten, help along, further, forward, advance Excessive drinking will speed up the ageing process.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

speed

noun
1. Rate of motion or performance:
Informal: clip.
verb
1. To increase the speed of.Also used with up:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
سرعةسُرْعَةسُرْعَة الحَرَكَهسُرْعَهيُسْرِع
бързина
rychlostuhánětpřekročit povolenou rychlost
hastighedkøre for hurtigtkøre hurtigtfart
nopeuspirispiidivauhti
brzina
sebesség
fara of hrattflÿta; òjótahraîi
速さ
속도
greičio matuoklisgreičio ribojimo gūbrelisgreičio viršijimasviršyti greitį
ātrumsjoņotpārsniegt ātrumutraukties
viteză
prekročiť povolenú rýchlosť
hitrostodbrzetipospešitiprehitro voziti
hastighettjackfart
ความเร็ว
hızhız limitini aşmakhız yapmaksüratçabukluk
sự nhanh nhẹn

speed

[spiːd] (sped or speeded (vb: pt, pp))
A. N
1. (= rate of movement) → velocidad f, rapidez f; (= rapidity, haste) → rapidez f, prisa f
shorthand/typing speedvelocidad f en taquigrafía/mecanografía
my typing speed is 60 words per minutemecanografío 60 palabras por minuto
at speeda gran velocidad
at a speed of 70km/ha una velocidad de 70km por hora
what speed were you doing? (Aut) → ¿a qué velocidad ibas?
at full speeda toda velocidad, a máxima velocidad
full speed ahead!¡avante toda!
to gather speedacelerar, cobrar velocidad
the speed of lightla velocidad de la luz
the maximum speed is 120km/hla velocidad máxima es de 120km por hora
to pick up speedacelerar, cobrar velocidad
the speed of soundla velocidad del sonido
at top speeda toda velocidad, a máxima velocidad
to be up to speed (= well-informed) → estar al día, estar al corriente; (= functioning properly) → estar a punto, funcionar a pleno rendimiento
to bring sb up to speedponer a algn al día or al corriente
to bring sth up to speedponer algo a punto
see also full A3
2. (Aut, Tech) (= gear) → velocidad f
a three-speed bikeuna bicicleta de tres marchas or velocidades
a five-speed gearboxuna caja de cambios de cinco velocidades
3. (Phot) → velocidad f
4. (Drugs) → speed m, anfetamina f
B. VI
1. (sped (pt, pp)) (= go fast) → correr a toda prisa; (= hurry) → darse prisa, apresurarse
he sped down the streetcorrió a toda prisa por la calle
to speed alongir a gran velocidad
the years sped bypasaron los años volando
to speed offmarcharse a toda prisa
2. (speeded (pt, pp)) (Aut) (= exceed speed limit) → conducir or (LAm) manejar por encima del límite de velocidad permitido
C. VT (speeded (pt, pp)) to speed sb on his waydespedir a algn, desear un feliz viaje a algn
D. CPD speed bump Nbanda f sonora
speed cop Npolicía m de tráfico, policía m de tránsito
speed limit Nvelocidad f máxima, límite m de velocidad
a 50km/h speed limitvelocidad máxima (permitida) de 50km por hora
to exceed the speed limitexceder la velocidad permitida or el límite de velocidad
speed merchant Ncorredor(a) m/f
speed restriction Nlimitación f de velocidad
speed skater Npatinador(a) m/f de velocidad
speed skating Npatinaje m de velocidad
speed trap N (Aut) sistema policial para detectar infracciones de velocidad
speed up (speeded up (pt, pp))
A. VI + ADV [person] → apresurarse, apurarse (LAm); [process] → acelerarse
B. VT + ADV [+ object] → acelerar; [+ person] → apresurar, apurar (LAm)
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

speed

[ˈspiːd]
n
(= rate of movement or action) → vitesse f
None of us grows at the same speed → Personne ne grandit à la même vitesse.
at full speed, at top speed → à toute vitesse, à toute allure
at a speed of 70 km/h → à une vitesse de 70 km/h
shorthand speeds → nombre m de mots à la minute en sténographie
typing speed → vitesse f de frappe
to be up to speed on sth (= in touch with developments) → être à la page sur qch
(= fast movement or action) → vitesse f
the pleasure associated with speed → le plaisir associé à la vitesse
with remarkable speed (= very quickly) → avec une promptitude remarquable
She answered my letter with remarkable speed → Elle a répondu à ma lettre avec une promptitude remarquable.
at speed → à vive allure
(PHOTOGRAPHY)vitesse f
(= gear) → vitesse f
a five-speed gearbox → une boîte cinq vitesses
a three-speed bike → un vélo à trois vitesses
(= drug) → speed m
vi [sped] [ˈspɛd] (pt, pp)
(= go fast) to speed along → aller à toute vitesse
to speed by → passer à toute vitesse
(AUTOMOBILES) (= exceed speed limit) → être en excès de vitesse
speed up
[speeded up] (pt, pp)
vi
[vehicle, driver, walker] → accélérer
[process, activity] → s'accélérer
vt sepaccélérer
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

speed

vb: pret, ptp <sped or speeded>
n
Geschwindigkeit f; (= esp fast speed)Schnelligkeit f; (of moving object or person)Tempo nt, → Geschwindigkeit f; at speedäußerst schnell; at high/low speedmit hoher/niedriger Geschwindigkeit; at full or top speedmit Höchstgeschwindigkeit; at a speed of 50 mphmit einer Geschwindigkeit or einem Tempo von 50 Meilen pro Stunde; the speed of light/sounddie Licht-/Schallgeschwindigkeit; at the speed of lightmit Lichtgeschwindigkeit; walking speedSchritttempo nt; to pick up or gather speedbeschleunigen, schneller werden; (fig, development) → sich beschleunigen; (person) → schneller werden; to lose speed(an) Geschwindigkeit verlieren; to be up to speed (inf: = informed) → auf dem neuesten Stand sein; to bring a factory/system up to speedeine Fabrik/ein System auf den neuesten Stand bringen; to bring somebody up to speed (inf)jdn auf den neuesten Stand bringen; what speed were you doing?wie schnell sind Sie gefahren?; her typing/shorthand speed is goodsie kann schnell Maschine schreiben/stenografieren; what is her typing/shorthand speed?wie viele Anschläge/Silben (pro Minute) schreibt sie?; with all possible speedso schnell wie möglich; with such speedso schnell; full speed ahead! (Naut) → volle Kraft voraus!
(Aut, Tech: = gear) → Gang m; three-speed bicycleFahrrad mit Dreigangschaltung; a three-speed gearein Dreiganggetriebe nt
(Phot: = film speed) → Lichtempfindlichkeit f; (= shutter speed)Belichtungszeit f
(inf: = drug) → Speed nt (sl)
vt to speed somebody on his way (person) → jdn verabschieden; (iro)jdn hinauskomplimentieren; (good wishes etc) → jdn auf seinem Weg begleiten; if you fetch the visitors’ coats it may speed them on their waywenn du die Mäntel der Gäste holst, machen sie sich vielleicht auf den Weg; God speed you! (old)Gott (sei) mit dir! (old)
vi
pret, ptp <sped> (= move quickly)jagen, flitzen; (arrow) → sausen, flitzen; the years sped bydie Jahre verflogen or vergingen wie im Fluge; God speed (old)Gott mit dir (old)
pret, ptp <speeded> (Aut: = exceed speed limit) → zu schnell fahren, die Geschwindigkeitsbegrenzung überschreiten

speed

:
speedboat
nRenn- or Schnellboot nt
speed bump
nFahrbahnschwelle f, → Aufpflasterung f (form)
speed camera
n (Police) → Blitzgerät nt
speed cop
n (inf)weiße Maus (inf), → Verkehrsbulle m (inf)
speed counter
n (esp Aut) → Drehzahlmesser m

speed

:
speed limit
nGeschwindigkeitsbegrenzung f; a 30 mph speedeine Geschwindigkeitsbegrenzung von 50 km/h
speed merchant
n (inf)Raser m (inf); Nicholas is a real speedNicholas fährt wie der Henker (inf)

speed

:
speed ramp
n (Mot) → Bodenschwelle f
speed-read
speed skater
nEisschnellläufer(in) m(f)
speed skating

speed

:
speed table
n (US Mot) → Bodenschwelle f
speed trap
nRadarfalle f (inf)
speed-up
n (inf)schnelleres Tempo (inf)(in bei), Beschleunigung f (→ in +gen); (in research) → Vorantreiben nt (→ in +gen); (in rate of inflation) → Steigerung f (→ in +gen)
speedway
n
(Sport) → Speedwayrennen nt; (= track)Speedwaybahn f
(US: = racetrack) → Rennstrecke f; (= expressway)Schnellstraße f
speedwell
n (Bot) → Ehrenpreis m or nt, → Veronika f
speedwriting
nSchnellschreiben nt
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

speed

[spiːd]
1. n
a. (rate of movement) → velocità; (rapidity, haste) → rapidità; (promptness) → prontezza
at speed (Brit) → velocemente
at full speed, at top speed → a tutta velocità
at a speed of 70 km/h → a una velocità di 70 km all'ora
the speed of light/sound → la velocità della luce/del suono
what speed were you doing? (Aut) → a che velocità andavi?
to pick up or gather speed (car) → acquistare velocità (project, work) → procedere più speditamente
the speed of his reactions → la sua prontezza di riflessi
shorthand/typing speeds → numero di parole al minuto in stenografia/dattilografia
b. (Aut, Tech) (gear) → marcia
a five-speed gearbox → un cambio a cinque marce
c. (Phot) (of film) → sensibilità; (of shutter) → tempo di apertura
2. vi
a. (sped (pt, pp)) to speed along (car, work) → procedere velocemente
to speed away or off (car, person) → sfrecciare via
the years sped by → gli anni sono volati
b. (speeded (pt, pp)) (Aut) (exceed speed limit) → andare a velocità eccessiva
speed up (speeded up (pt, pp))
1. vi + adv (gen) → andare più veloce (Aut) → accelerare; (walker/worker/train) → camminare/lavorare/viaggiare più veloce; (engine, machine) → girare più veloce; (production) → accelerare
2. vt + advaccelerare
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

speed

(spiːd) noun
1. rate of moving. a slow speed; The car was travelling at high speed.
2. quickness of moving.
verb
1. (past tense, past participles sped (sped) ˈspeeded) to (cause to) move or progress quickly; to hurry. The car sped/speeded along the motorway.
2. (past tense, past participle ˈspeeded) to drive very fast in a car etc, faster than is allowed by law. The policeman said that I had been speeding.
ˈspeeding noun
driving at (an illegally) high speed. He was fined for speeding.
ˈspeedy adjective
done, carried out etc quickly. a speedy answer.
ˈspeedily adverb
ˈspeediness noun
ˈspeed bump noun
a raised part across the road to make drivers slow down.
ˈspeed trap noun
a device used by the police to catch drivers exceeding the speed limit.
speedometer (spiːˈdomitə) noun
an instrument on a car etc showing how fast one is travelling.
speed uppast tense, past participle ˈspeeded
1. to increase speed. The car speeded up as it left the town.
2. to quicken the rate of. We are trying to speed up production.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.

speed

سُرْعَة rychlost hastighed Geschwindigkeit ταχύτητα velocidad nopeus vitesse brzina velocità 速さ 속도 snelheid hastighet szybkość velocidade скорость hastighet ความเร็ว hız sự nhanh nhẹn 速度
Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
Collins Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009

speed

n (fam) metanfetamina
English-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
References in classic literature ?
"I do not need, pilot," said Phileas Fogg, when they got into the open sea, "to advise you to use all possible speed."
The pilot had hung out his lights, which was very necessary in these seas crowded with vessels bound landward; for collisions are not uncommon occurrences, and, at the speed she was going, the least shock would shatter the gallant little craft.
And I knew too that Xodar spoke the truth when he lauded the speed of his little craft, for nothing that cleaves the thin air of Mars can approximate the speed of the ships of Helium.
I knew that I could not carry more than one away with me, for I was already too heavily laden to move quietly with any degree of safety or speed. As I took one of them from its pin my eye fell for the first time on an open window beside the rack.
This dial hanging in front of us indicates the speed of the Nautilus.
"I have seen the Nautilus manoeuvre before the Abraham Lincoln, and I have my own ideas as to its speed. But this is not enough.
Had they been able to subdue the frightful pressure of the initiatory speed of more than 11,000 yards, which was enough to traverse Paris or New York in a second?
It is fifty-five minutes past ten; we have been gone about eight minutes; and if our initiatory speed has not been checked by the friction, six seconds would be enough for us to pass through the forty miles of atmosphere which surrounds the globe."
As I rose above the city I circled several times, as I had seen Kantos Kan do, and then throwing my engine into top speed I raced at terrific velocity toward the south, following one of the great waterways which enter Zodanga from that direction.
It proved itself such that morning, for I had scarce gotten into my dry clothes and taken the girl's apparel to the captain's cabin when an order was shouted down into the engine-room for full speed ahead, and an instant later I heard the dull boom of a gun.
The smaller the sustaining surface, the higher the speed. That was the law discovered by Langley.
When I say her days of perfection, I mean perfection of build, gear, seaworthy qualities and case of handling, not the perfection of speed. That quality has departed with the change of building material.