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SPEED
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Irregular inflected form: sped
I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Changing location rapidly
Synonyms:
Classified under:
Nouns denoting acts or actions
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"):
acceleration; quickening; speedup (the act of accelerating; increasing the speed)
deceleration (the act of decelerating; decreasing the speed)
scud; scudding (the act of moving along swiftly (as before a gale))
Derivation:
speed (move faster)
speed (cause to move faster)
speed (move very fast)
speed (travel at an excessive or illegal velocity)
speedy (characterized by speed; moving with or capable of moving with high speed)
Sense 2
Meaning:
A central nervous system stimulant that increases energy and decreases appetite; used to treat narcolepsy and some forms of depression
Synonyms:
amphetamine; pep pill; speed; upper
Classified under:
Nouns denoting man-made objects
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)
Sense 3
Meaning:
A rate (usually rapid) at which something happens
Example:
the project advanced with gratifying speed
Synonyms:
Classified under:
Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects
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:
speedy (accomplished rapidly and without delay)
speed (move hurridly)
speed (travel at an excessive or illegal velocity)
speed (move very fast)
speed (cause to move faster)
speed (move faster)
Sense 4
Meaning:
The ratio of the focal length to the diameter of a (camera) lens system
Synonyms:
f number; focal ratio; speed; stop number
Classified under:
Nouns denoting relations between people or things or ideas
Hypernyms ("speed" is a kind of...):
ratio (the relative magnitudes of two quantities (usually expressed as a quotient))
Sense 5
Meaning:
Distance travelled per unit time
Synonyms:
speed; velocity
Classified under:
Nouns denoting time and temporal relations
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"):
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)
hypervelocity (excessive velocity)
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)
II. (verb)
Verb forms
Present simple: I / you / we / they speed ... he / she / it speeds
Past participle: sped /speeded
-ing form: speeding
Sense 1
Meaning:
Move faster
Example:
The car accelerated
Synonyms:
accelerate; quicken; speed; speed up
Classified under:
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.
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 2
Meaning:
Cause to move faster
Example:
He accelerated the car
Synonyms:
accelerate; speed; speed up
Classified under:
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.
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)
Sense 3
Meaning:
Move very fast
Example:
The runner zipped past us at breakneck speed
Synonyms:
hurry; speed; travel rapidly; zip
Classified under:
Verbs of walking, flying, swimming
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
Example:
I got a ticket for speeding
Classified under:
Verbs of walking, flying, swimming
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:
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)
speed (changing location rapidly)
Sense 5
Meaning:
Move hurridly
Example:
The cars raced down the street
Synonyms:
belt along; bucket along; cannonball along; hasten; hie; hotfoot; pelt along; race; rush; rush along; speed; step on it
Classified under:
Verbs of walking, flying, swimming
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)
Context examples:
A protein that speeds up chemical reactions in the body.
(Enzyme, NCI Dictionary)
A remarkable thing was the speed with which he travelled.
(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)
It is probably speeding on its way thither at the present instant as fast as steam can take it.
(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
The whole composite vision was achieved with the speed of light, producing no pause in the conversation, nor interrupting his calm train of thought.
(Martin Eden, by Jack London)
As I said this I suddenly beheld the figure of a man, at some distance, advancing towards me with superhuman speed.
(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)
The speed relative to time that an exogenous compound is removed from a body system.
(Excretion Rate, NCI Thesaurus)
The speed of movement of a liquid.
(Flow Rate, NCI Thesaurus)
This brother of yours would persuade me out of my senses, Miss Morland; do but look at my horse; did you ever see an animal so made for speed in your life?
(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)
“Jim,” I cried, “I believe it is my uncle!” and taking to my heels I ran for home at the top of my speed.
(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
An enzyme that speeds up the formation of substances that cause inflammation and pain.
(COX-2, NCI Dictionary)
