Noun: speed
| Singular | speed |
| Plural | speeds |
Sample Sentences
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How does Usain Bolt run at that speed?
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Returne with ſpeed, time paſſeth ſwift away,
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Our life is fraile, and we may dye to day. [c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act I, scene i:]
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Speed limits provide information to the drivers about the safe speed to travel in average conditions.
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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. [1960 December 26, “Talking of Trains: Recording Electric Operation”, in Trains Illustrated, London: Ian Allan Publishing, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 707:]
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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. [2021, Paris Lees, What it Feels Like for a Girl, Penguin (2022), page 115:]
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St. Francis be my ſpeed, how oft to night / Haue my old feet ſtumbled at graues? [c. 1591–1595 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene iii], page 76:]
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O Lord God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day. [1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Genesis 24:12:]
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We could go to the shore next week, or somewhere else if that's not your speed.
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I used to dream of throwing on the heritage Burberry coat and teaming it with Hunter wellies (which is admittedly a very cute look), but a few years ago I realized an oversize option is actually my speed. [2024 April 8, Nikki Ogunnaike, “3 Outfit Formulas That Will Carry You Through Any Season”, in Marie Claire:]
Nouns inflected like speed
soldier's woundwort,
Nicosian,
whopper,
greypate,
tactile sign language,
chronotrope,
Rosie Lee,
dissentient,
photoinactivator,
sulphonediimine,
coastal waterfall,
residuary devise,
bituminization,
nitrosonaphthol,
smṛiti,
geosphere,
backscreen,
mensuralist,
flocculate,
flocculant, etc. (List truncated at 20 nouns)
Etymology
1. 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”).
2. 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”). See: Middle English Nouns '
sped', Dutch Nouns '
spoed', German Nouns '
Sput', Old English Nouns '
spōwan', Latin Nouns '
spēs'.
Verbs referencing "speed"
French Nouns
speed, Finnish Nouns
spiidi, Icelandic Nouns
spítt, French Nouns
deuspi.