Accelerate

//əkˈsɛl.əˌɹeɪt// adj, verb

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    Accelerated; quickened; hastened; hurried. archaic, not-comparable

    "... a general knowledg of the definition of motion, and of the distinction of natural and violent, even and accelerate, and the like, sufficing."

Verb
  1. 1
    To cause to move faster; to quicken the motion of; to add to the speed of. transitive
  2. 2
    move faster wordnet
  3. 3
    To quicken the natural or ordinary progression or process of. transitive

    "to accelerate the growth of a plant, the increase of wealth, etc."

  4. 4
    cause to move faster wordnet
  5. 5
    To cause a change of velocity. transitive
Show 4 more definitions
  1. 6
    To hasten, as the occurrence of an event. transitive

    "to accelerate our departure"

  2. 7
    To enable a student to finish a course of study in less than normal time. transitive
  3. 8
    To become faster; to begin to move more quickly. intransitive

    "The car began to accelerate as soon as the light turned green."

  4. 9
    Grow; increase. intransitive

Etymology

Etymology 1

First attested in the 1520s. Either from Latin accelerātus, perfect passive participle of accelerō (“to accelerate, hasten”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), formed from ad + celerō (“to hasten”), which is from celer (“quick”) (see celerity), or back-formation from acceleration.

Etymology 2

First attested in the 1520s. Either from Latin accelerātus, perfect passive participle of accelerō (“to accelerate, hasten”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), formed from ad + celerō (“to hasten”), which is from celer (“quick”) (see celerity), or back-formation from acceleration.

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