speed

[[t]spi͟ːd[/t]]

♦♦

speeds, speeding, sped, speeded

(The form of the past tense and past participle is sped in meaning 5 but speeded for the phrasal verb.)

1) N-VAR: with supp The speed of something is the rate at which it moves or travels.

He drove off at high speed...

With this type of camera, the shutter speed is fixed...

An electrical pulse in a wire travels close to the speed of light...

Wind speeds reached force five.

2) N-COUNT: with supp The speed of something is the rate at which it happens or is done.

In the late 1850s the speed of technological change quickened...

Each learner can proceed at his own speed.

Syn:

pace

3) N-UNCOUNT Speed is very fast movement or travel.

Speed is the essential ingredient of all athletics...

He put on a burst of speed...

The car is quite noisy at speed.

4) N-UNCOUNT: usu N of n/-ing Speed is a very fast rate at which something happens or is done.

I was amazed at his speed of working.

...the sheer speed of the unification process.

Syn:

pace

5) VERB If you speed somewhere, you move or travel there quickly, usually in a vehicle.

[V prep/adv] Trains will speed through the Channel Tunnel at 186mph...

[V prep/adv] The engine noise rises only slightly as I speed along.

Syn:

race

6) VERB: usu cont Someone who is speeding is driving a vehicle faster than the legal speed limit.

This man was not qualified to drive and was speeding.

Derived words:

speeding N-UNCOUNT

He was fined for speeding last year.

7) N-UNCOUNT Speed is an illegal drug such as amphetamine which some people take to increase their energy and excitement. [INFORMAL]

8) → See also -speed

9) to pick up speed → see pick

10) PHRASE: oft PHR on n If you are up to speed, you have all the most recent information that you need about something.

A day has been set aside to bring all councillors up to speed on the proposal...

Those in charge deluded themselves they were up to speed.

Phrasal Verbs:

- speed up