2. The act or state of moving swiftly; swiftness; velocity; rapidly; rate of motion; dispatch; as, the speed a
horse or a vessel.
Speed, to describe whose swiftness number fails.
Milton. In kinematics, speedis sometimes used to denote the amount of velocity without regard to direction of
motion, while velocity is not regarded as known unless both the direction and the amount are known.
3. One who, or that which, causes or promotes speed or success. [Obs.] "Hercules be thy speed!"
Shak.
God speed, Good speed; prosperity. See Godspeed. — Speed gauge, Speed indicator, &and Speed
recorder (Mach.), devices for indicating or recording the rate of a body's motion, as the number of
revolutions of a shaft in a given time. — Speed lathe (Mach.), a power lathe with a rapidly revolving
spindle, for turning small objects, for polishing, etc.; a hand lathe. — Speed pulley, a cone pulley with
steps.
Syn. — Haste; swiftness; celerity; quickness; dispatch; expedition; hurry; acceleration. See Haste.
Speed
(Speed) v. i. [imp. & p. p. Sped Speeded; p. pr. & vb. n. Speeding.] [AS. spedan, fr. sped,
n.; akin to D. spoeden, G. sich sputen. See Speed, n.]
1. To go; to fare. [Obs.]
To warn him now he is too farre sped.
Remedy of Love. 2. To experience in going; to have any condition, good or ill; to fare. Shak.
Ships heretofore in seas like fishes sped;
The mightiest still upon the smallest fed.
Waller. 3. To fare well; to have success; to prosper.
Save London, and send true lawyers their meed!
For whoso wants money with them shall not speed!
Lydgate.
I told ye then he should prevail, and speed
On his bad errand.
Milton. 4. To make haste; to move with celerity.
I have speeded hither with the very extremest inch of possibility.
Shak. 5. To be expedient. [Obs.] Wyclif (2 Cor. xii. 1.)
Speed
(Speed), v. t.
1. To cause to be successful, or to prosper; hence, to aid; to favor. "Fortune speed us!" Shak.
With rising gales that speed their happy flight.
Dryden. 2. 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.
Fairfax. 3. To hasten to a conclusion; to expedite.
Judicial acts . . . are sped in open court at the instance of one or both of the parties.
Ayliffe.
