speed

The state of moving quickly or the capacity for rapid motion.

Interjection

  1. Called by the soundman when the recording equipment has reached running speed and is ready to go.
    • “Speed,” Carlos, the soundman, said. […] “Camera.” “Rolling,” replied Bryce, the cameraman. - 2000, Brian J. Hayes, A Boy Scout in Hollywood, page 30:
    • […] the director called, “Roll 'em,” the sound man said, “Speed,” and Norling stepped in and said, […] - 2012, Tom Mascaro, Into the Fray, page 52:

Origin

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”).

Noun

  1. The state of moving quickly or the capacity for rapid motion.
    • How does Usain Bolt run at that speed?
    • Returne with ſpeed, time paſſeth ſwift away, Our life is fraile, and we may dye to day. - c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London:...

    Synonyms: celerity rapidity velocity

  2. 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.
    • Train positions and speeds were established by a track magnet at each milepost, which produced a suitable mark on the punched recording tape whenever a train passed. - 1960 December 5, “Talking of Trains: Recording...
  3. The sensitivity to light of film, plates or sensor.
  4. The duration of exposure, the time during which a camera shutter is open (shutter speed).
  5. The largest size of the lens opening at which a lens can be used.
  6. The ratio of the focal length to the diameter of a photographic objective.
  7. Amphetamine or any amphetamine-based drug (especially methamphetamine) used as a stimulant, especially illegally.
    • I don’t even like speed. It’s alright if ya wanna stay awake for three days an’ clean yer room, but I’m terrible on no sleep. It just makes me anxious. - 2021, Paris Lees, What it Feels Like for a Girl, Penguin (2022),...

    Synonyms: chalk crank crystal crystal meth fire glass go fast go-fast gogo ice jib meth methamphetamine methedrine methylamphetamine poor man's cocaine quartz shabu shards speed T tina tweak

  8. Luck, success, prosperity.
    • St. Francis be my ſpeed, how oft to night / Haue my old feet ſtumbled at graues? - c. 1591–1595 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, &...
    • O Lord God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day. - 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Genesis 24:12:
  9. Personal preference.
    • We could go to the shore next week, or somewhere else if that's not your speed.
    • I used to dream of throwing on the heritage Burberry coat and teaming it with Hunter wellies (which is admittedly a very cute look), but a few years ago I realized an oversize option is actually my speed. - 2024 April...
  10. A third-order measure of derivative price sensitivity, expressed as the rate of change of gamma with respect to changes in the underlying asset price.

    Synonyms: DgammaDspot gamma of the gamma

    Hypernyms: Greeks

Forms

speeds

Synonyms

speed velocity

Hypernyms

physical property

Hyponyms

average speed instantaneous speed ground speed airspeed

Related

metre meter per second m/s kilometre kilometer per hour km/h knot kt kn feet per second ft/s ft sec and fps mile per hour mph mach angular velocity acceleration deceleration fast speedy slow quickly slowly

Derived

airspeed at speed bat speed bespeed clock speed closing speed constant speed drive constant-speed propeller cruising speed design speed displacement speed film speed flank speed footspeed four-speed full speed ahead gather speed God-speed God speed Godspeed good speed ground speed groundspeed higher-speed rail

Verb

  1. To succeed; to prosper, be lucky.
    • And yf I maye fynde suche a knyghte that hath all these vertues / he may drawe oute this swerd oute of the shethe / for I haue ben at kyng Ryons / it was told me ther were passyng good knyghtes / and he and alle his...
    • We have been praying for our husbands' healths, Which speed, we hope, the better for our words. Are they returned? - c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William...
    • Aristotle must find out the motion of Euripus; Pliny must needs see Vesuvius; but how sped they? One loseth goods, another his life. - 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […],...
  2. To help someone, to give them fortune; to aid or favour.
    • God speed, until we meet again.
    • Fortune speed us! So we set forth to sea - c. 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Winters Tale”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard,...
    • with rising gales that sped their happy flight - 1697, Virgil, “(please specify the book number)”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob...
  3. To go fast.
    • The Ferrari was speeding along the road.
    • I have speeded hither with the very extremest inch of possibility. - c. 1596–1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Fourth, […]. Epilogue.”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies,...
    • With a little manœuvring they contrived to meet on the doorstep which was […] in a boiling stream of passers-by, hurrying business people speeding past in a flurry of fumes and dust in the bright haze. - 1963, Margery...

    Synonyms: zing

  4. To exceed the speed limit.
    • Why do you speed when the road is so icy?
    • It had these very funny, crazy plays in it, and then it had this one story about a traffic cop that falls in love with this very cute girl that’s always speeding. - 1951 July 16, J[erome] D[avid] Salinger, The Catcher...
  5. To increase the rate at which something occurs.
    • It is possible that the uterine contractions speed the sperm along. - 1982, Carole Offir, Carole Wade, Human sexuality,, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, page 454:
    • Such interventions can help to speed the process of reducing CBRs and help countries pass through the demographic transition threshold more quickly[…]. - 2004, James M. Cypher, James L. Dietz, The process of economic...
  6. To be under the influence of stimulant drugs, especially amphetamines.
    • Jackie is just speeding away / Thought she was James Dean for a day - 1972, Lou Reed, “Walk on the Wild Side”, in Transformer:
    • If Hector had not been speeding, it was possible that his next thought would have hurt: he loves his uncle unconditionally, in a way he will never love me. - 2008, Christos Tsiolkas, The Slap, Allen and Unwin, page 46:
  7. To be expedient.
  8. To hurry to destruction; to put an end to; to ruin.
    • infected with the fashions, full of wingdalls, sped with spavins, rayed with yellows - c. 1590–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Taming of the Shrew”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, &...
    • A dire dilemma! either vvay I'm ſped, / If Foes, they vvrite, if Friends, they read me dead. - 1735 January 13 (Gregorian calendar; indicated as 1734), [Alexander] Pope, An Epistle from Mr. Pope, to Dr. Arbuthnot,...
  9. To wish success or good fortune to, in any undertaking, especially in setting out upon a journey.
    • Welcome the coming, speed the parting guest. - 1726, Homer, “Book XV”, in [Alexander Pope], transl., The Odyssey of Homer. […], volume IV, London: […] Bernard Lintot, →OCLC:
  10. To cause to make haste; to dispatch with celerity; to drive at full speed; hence, to hasten; to hurry.
    • He sped him thence, home to his habitation. - 1600, [Torquato Tasso], “(please specify |book=1 to 20)”, in Edward Fairefax [i.e., Edward Fairfax], transl., Godfrey of Bulloigne, or The Recouerie of Ierusalem. […],...
  11. To hasten to a conclusion; to expedite.
    • Judicial acts[…]are sped in open court at the instance of one or both of the parties. - 1726, John Ayliffe, Parergon Juris Canonici Anglicani: Or, A Commentary, by Way of Supplement to the Canons and Constitutions of...

Origin

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”).

Forms

speeds speeding sped speeded

Derived

despeed dispeed forespeed Godspeed misspeed outspeed speeder speed up