speed
/spiːd/ noun, interjection, verb, proper noun
Forms speeds speeding sped speeded
- noun The state of moving quickly or the capacity for rapid motion. “How does Usain Bolt run at that speed?”
- noun (mathematics, physics) The rate of motion or action, specifically the magnitude of the velocity; the rate distance is traversed in a given time. “Speed limits provide information to the drivers about the safe speed to travel in average conditions.”
- noun (photography) The sensitivity to light of film, plates or sensor.
- noun (photography) The duration of exposure, the time during which a camera shutter is open (shutter speed).
- noun (photography) The largest size of the lens opening at which a lens can be used.
- noun (photography) The ratio of the focal length to the diameter of a photographic objective.
- noun (slang, uncountable) Amphetamine or any amphetamine-based drug (especially methamphetamine) used as a stimulant, especially illegally.
- noun (archaic) Luck, success, prosperity.
- interjection (film) Called by the soundman when the recording equipment has reached running speed and is ready to go.
- verb (intransitive, archaic) To succeed; to prosper, be lucky.
- verb (transitive, archaic) To help someone, to give them fortune; to aid or favour. “God speed, until we meet again.”
- verb (intransitive) To go fast. “The Ferrari was speeding along the road.”
- verb (intransitive) To exceed the speed limit. “Why do you speed when the road is so icy?”
- verb (transitive) To increase the rate at which something occurs.
- verb (intransitive, slang) To be under the influence of stimulant drugs, especially amphetamines.
- verb (obsolete) To be expedient.
- verb (archaic) To hurry to destruction; to put an end to; to ruin.
- proper noun A surname transferred from the nickname.
- proper noun An unincorporated community in Silver Creek Township, Clark County, Indiana.
- proper noun A minor city in Phillips County, Kansas.
Synonyms
celerity rapidity velocity chalk crank crystal crystal meth fire glass go fast go-fast gogo ice jib meth methamphetamine methedrine methylamphetamine poor man's cocaine quartz swiftness fastness speeding hurrying focal ratio f number stop number amphetamine pep pill upper
Etymology
From Middle English sped (“prosperity, good luck, quickness, success”), from Old English spēd (“success”), from Proto-West Germanic *spōdi (“prosperity, success”), from Proto-West Germanic *spōan, from Proto-Germanic *spōaną (“to prosper, succeed, be happy”), from Proto-Indo-European *speh₁- (“to prosper, turn out well”).
Cognate with Scots spede, speid (“success, quickness, speed”), Dutch spoed (“haste; speed”), German Low German Spood (“haste; speed; eagerness; success”), German Sput (“progress, acceleration, haste”). Related also to Old English spōwan (“to be successful, succeed”), Albanian shpejt (“to speed, to hurry”) and Russian спеши́ть (spešítʹ, “to hurry”), Latin spēs (“hope, expectation”), spērō (“hope”, verb), perhaps also to Ancient Greek σπεύδω (speúdō, “to urge on, hasten, press on”).
From Middle English speden, from Old English spēdan (“to speed, prosper, succeed, have success”), from Proto-West Germanic *spōdijan (“to succeed”).
Cognate with Scots spede, speid (“to meet with success, assist, promote, accomplish, speed”), Dutch spoeden (“to hurry, rush”), Low German spoden, spöden (“to hasten, speed”), German sputen, spuden (“to speed”).
* As an English surname, from Middle English sped (“good fortune”, literally “assistance, aid”). Also from the noun speed.
* As an Irish surname, translated from Ó Fuada, from fuad (“haste, hurriedness”). See Foody.
* As a German and Jewish surname, Americanized and translated from Schnell.
* Most place names seem to taken from the surname.
Webster’s 1913
- noun Prosperity in an undertaking; favorable issue; success. "For common speed." Chaucer.
- noun The act or state of moving swiftly; swiftness; velocity; rapidly; rate of motion; dispatch; as, the speed a horse or a vessel.
- verb To go; to fare. [Obs.]
- verb To experience in going; to have any condition, good or ill; to fare. Shak.
Etymology [AS. sp success, swiftness, from sp to succeed; akin to D. spoedd, OHG. spuot success, spuot to succees, Skr. spha to increase, grow fat. sq. root170b.]
Etymology [AS. sp, fr. sp, n.; akin to D. spoeden, G. sich sputen. See Speed, n.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “speed”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details