speed
/spiːd/
Word Rarity
Common
Frequency: Zipf frequency 5.00 in modern English
8
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
1
Syllables
4
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
The rate of motion or action, specifically the magnitude of the velocity; the rate distance is traversed in a given time.
Countable; Uncountable
noun
The duration of exposure, the time during which a camera shutter is open (shutter speed).
Countable; Uncountable
noun
The ratio of the focal length to the diameter of a photographic objective.
Countable; Uncountable
noun
Amphetamine or any amphetamine-based drug (especially methamphetamine) used as a stimulant, especially illegally.
Slang; Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "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."
- "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."
- "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."
- "St. Francis be my ſpeed, how oft to night / Haue my old feet ſtumbled at graues?"
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”).