speed

I UK [spiːd] / US [spɪd] noun
Word forms "speed":
singular speed plural speeds
***

1) [countable/uncountable] the rate at which someone or something moves

speed of:

The device measures the speed and direction of the wind.

top speed (= the fastest that something can travel):

The new model has a top speed of 125 miles per hour.

pick up/gather speed (= go faster):

The hurricane has picked up speed and turned towards the coast.

a) the rate at which a machine works

a printing speed of 6 pages per minute

b) the rate at which something happens

They were working with incredible speed.

2) movement that is very fast

The main advantage of this bike is its speed.

at speed (= very fast):

The car drove off at speed.

3) [countable] a gear I, 1)

a car with a 5-speed gearbox

4)

a) [countable] the time that it takes for a camera's shutter to open and close to allow light in

shutter speed

b) a measurement of how quickly a film reacts to the light that comes into a camera

5) [uncountable] informal an illegal drug that makes people feel as if they have a lot of energy

•

See:

up I

II UK [spiːd] / US [spɪd] verb
Word forms "speed":
present tense I/you/we/they speed he/she/it speeds present participle speeding past tense sped UK [sped] / US or speeded past participle sped or speeded
**

1)

a) [intransitive] to move quickly

speed towards/away/through etc:

an endless stream of traffic speeding towards the city

I heard a car speed away.

b) [transitive] to take someone somewhere quickly

speed someone to/across/up etc something:

The train speeds passengers to Paris in just over three hours.

2) [intransitive] to drive a car faster than the fastest speed legally allowed

Drivers who are caught speeding risk a heavy fine.

Phrasal verbs:

- speed up