SPEED (sped)

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does speed mean? 

• SPEED (noun)
  The noun SPEED has 5 senses:

1. distance travelled per unit time

2. a rate (usually rapid) at which something happens

3. changing location rapidly

4. the ratio of the focal length to the diameter of a (camera) lens system

5. a central nervous system stimulant that increases energy and decreases appetite; used to treat narcolepsy and some forms of depression

  Familiarity information: SPEED used as a noun is common.

• SPEED (verb)
  The verb SPEED has 5 senses:

1. move hurridly

2. move faster

3. move very fast

4. travel at an excessive or illegal velocity

5. cause to move faster

  Familiarity information: SPEED used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SPEED (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Distance travelled per unit time

Classified under:

Nouns denoting time and temporal relations

Synonyms:

speed; velocity

Hypernyms ("speed" is a kind of...):

rate (a magnitude or frequency relative to a time unit)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "speed"):

hypervelocity (excessive velocity)

terminal velocity (the constant maximum velocity reached by a body falling through the atmosphere under the attraction of gravity)

steerageway ((nautical) the minimum rate of motion needed for a vessel to be maneuvered)

c; light speed; speed of light (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)

radial velocity (velocity along the line of sight toward or away from the observer)

peculiar velocity (velocity with respect to the local standard of rest)

muzzle velocity (the velocity of a projectile as it leaves the muzzle of a gun)

groundspeed (the speed of an aircraft relative to the ground)

escape velocity (the minimum velocity needed to escape a gravitational field)

airspeed (the speed of an aircraft relative to the air in which it is flying)

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)

Derivation:

speed (move faster)

speed (cause to move faster)

speed (move very fast)

speed (travel at an excessive or illegal velocity)

speed (move hurridly)

speedy (characterized by speed; moving with or capable of moving with high speed)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A rate (usually rapid) at which something happens

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

fastness; speed; swiftness

Context example:

the project advanced with gratifying speed

Hypernyms ("speed" is a kind of...):

pace; rate (the relative speed of progress or change)

Attribute:

fast (acting or moving or capable of acting or moving quickly)

slow (not moving quickly; taking a comparatively long time)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "speed"):

haste; hastiness; hurriedness; hurry; precipitation (overly eager speed (and possible carelessness))

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)

Derivation:

speed (move faster)

speed (cause to move faster)

speed (move very fast)

speed (travel at an excessive or illegal velocity)

speed (move hurridly)

speedy (accomplished rapidly and without delay)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Changing location rapidly

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

hurrying; speed; speeding

Hypernyms ("speed" is a kind of...):

motion; move; movement (the act of changing location from one place to another)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "speed"):

deceleration (the act of decelerating; decreasing the speed)

scud; scudding (the act of moving along swiftly (as before a gale))

acceleration; quickening; speedup (the act of accelerating; increasing the speed)

Derivation:

speed (cause to move faster)

speed (move faster)

speedy (characterized by speed; moving with or capable of moving with high speed)

speed (travel at an excessive or illegal velocity)

speed (move very fast)

Sense 4

Meaning:

The ratio of the focal length to the diameter of a (camera) lens system

Classified under:

Nouns denoting relations between people or things or ideas

Synonyms:

f number; focal ratio; speed; stop number

Hypernyms ("speed" is a kind of...):

ratio (the relative magnitudes of two quantities (usually expressed as a quotient))

Sense 5

Meaning:

A central nervous system stimulant that increases energy and decreases appetite; used to treat narcolepsy and some forms of depression

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

amphetamine; pep pill; speed; upper

Hypernyms ("speed" is a kind of...):

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)

excitant; stimulant; stimulant drug (a drug that temporarily quickens some vital process)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "speed"):

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)

chalk; chicken feed; crank; deoxyephedrine; glass; ice; meth; methamphetamine; methamphetamine hydrochloride; Methedrine; shabu; trash (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)

• SPEED (verb)

Conjugation:

Sense 1

Meaning:

Move hurridly

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

belt along; bucket along; cannonball along; hasten; hie; hotfoot; pelt along; race; rush; rush along; speed; step on it

Context example:

The cars raced down the street

Hypernyms (to "speed" is one way to...):

go; locomote; move; travel (change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "speed"):

barge; push forward; thrust ahead (push one's way)

buck; charge; shoot; shoot down; tear (move quickly and violently)

dart; dash; flash; scoot; scud; shoot (run or move very quickly or hastily)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s

Sentence example:

They speed up the hill

Also:

speed up (move faster)

Derivation:

speed (a rate (usually rapid) at which something happens)

speed (distance travelled per unit time)

speeding (changing location rapidly)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Move faster

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

accelerate; quicken; speed; speed up

Context example:

The car accelerated

Hypernyms (to "speed" is one way to...):

deepen; intensify (become more intense)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "speed"):

brisk; brisk up; brisken (become brisk)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sentence example:

These cars won't speed

Derivation:

speed (distance travelled per unit time)

speed (a rate (usually rapid) at which something happens)

speed (changing location rapidly)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Move very fast

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

hurry; speed; travel rapidly; zip

Context example:

The runner zipped past us at breakneck speed

Hypernyms (to "speed" is one way to...):

go; locomote; move; travel (change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "speed"):

dart; fleet; flit; flutter (move along rapidly and lightly; skim or dart)

run (move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time)

whizz; whizz along; zoom; zoom along (move along very quickly)

Sentence frames:

Something is ----ing PP
Somebody ----s PP

Sentence example:

These cars won't speed

Also:

speed up (move faster)

Derivation:

speed (changing location rapidly)

speed (a rate (usually rapid) at which something happens)

speed (distance travelled per unit time)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Travel at an excessive or illegal velocity

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Context example:

I got a ticket for speeding

Hypernyms (to "speed" is one way to...):

go; locomote; move; travel (change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically)

Sentence frames:

Something is ----ing PP
Somebody ----s PP

Sentence example:

These cars won't speed

Derivation:

speed; speeding (changing location rapidly)

speeder (a driver who exceeds the safe speed limit)

speed (distance travelled per unit time)

speed (a rate (usually rapid) at which something happens)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Cause to move faster

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

accelerate; speed; speed up

Context example:

He accelerated the car

Hypernyms (to "speed" is one way to...):

alter; change; modify (cause to change; make different; cause a transformation)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Derivation:

speed (changing location rapidly)

speed (a rate (usually rapid) at which something happens)

speed (distance travelled per unit time)

 Context examples 

The needle may be twirled, moved up and down at different speeds and depths, heated, or charged with a low electric current.

(Needling, NCI Dictionary)

Seeing himself discovered, the man rushed out from his hiding-place, and bounded at the top of his speed down the line of archers, keeping a good hundred paces to the front of them.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The speed in the meantime had strangely increased.

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

A test that measures the speed of nerve activity along the length of a nerve.

(Nerve Conduction Velocity Test, NCI Thesaurus)

They will speed up your timetable and ask you to re-arrange plans.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

The unit of measure for the velocity or speed of an exposure.

(Exposure Flow Rate Unit of Measure, NCI Thesaurus)

We were crossing to the former place, when I found that my aunt greatly accelerated her speed, and looked frightened.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

The velocity or speed of an exposure.

(Exposure Flow Rate, NCI Thesaurus)

Measurement of the speed of administration of a substance.

(Performed Substance Administration Flow Rate, NCI Thesaurus/BRIDG)

So great was his speed that as he curved past the corner of the cabin he slipped and fell.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)