Meaning of speed In English

• 0 how fast something moves:

  • He was travelling at a speed of 90 mph.

  • The car has a top speed of 155 miles per hour.

  • You should lower/reduce your speed as you approach a junction.

  • On a clear, straight road you can gather/pick up speed.

  • He came off the road while driving his car round a bend at high/breakneck speed (= very fast).

  • There are speed restrictions (= controls on how fast traffic is allowed to move) on this part of the road.

  • an electric drill with two speeds (= rates at which it turns)

  • I get a real thrill from speed.

  • He put on a sudden burst of speed.

  • Both cars were travelling at speed (= very fast) when the accident happened.

  • We were surprised at the speed of the response to our enquiry.

  • It was the speed at which it all happened that shocked me.

  • She got through her work with speed (= quickly) and efficiency.

  • The speed of light is 300 million metres per second.

  • These planes travel at twice the speed of sound.

  • a bicycle with ten speeds

  • a ten-speed bicycle

  • What speed film do I need for taking photographs indoors?

  • a high/low shutter speed

• 1 slang for amphetamine (= a drug that makes the mind or body more active):

  • She was on speed at the time.

• 2 to (cause to) move, go, or happen fast:

  • The train sped along at over 120 miles per hour.

  • The actress then sped away/off in a waiting car.

  • We sped down the ski slopes.

  • This year is speeding by/past.

  • Ambulances sped the injured people (= moved them quickly) away from the scene.

  • The best thing you can do to speed your recovery (= make it quicker) is to rest.

  • He was caught speeding.

• 3 (a) rate at which something moves or happens:

  • [ C ] a speed of 25 miles per hour

  • [ U ] Both cars were traveling at high speed.

  • [ U ] They came racing down the hill at top speed (= as fast as they could go).

  • [ U ] The processing speed of my new computer is much faster.

  • [ C ] This electric drill has two speeds (= rates at which it turns).

  • [ C ] I have a ten-speed bicycle.

• 4 to move, go, or happen fast, or to cause something to happen fast:

  • [ I ] The train sped along at over 120 miles per hour.

  • [ I ] This year seems to be speeding by/past.

  • [ T ] Ambulances sped the injured people (= moved them quickly) away from the scene.

• 5 the rate at which a computer or an internet connection operates and provides information:

  • Increase the speed of your computer with our new software.

  • How do I verify my computer's CPU speed?

  • First you need to find out what your internet connection speed is.

• 6 if you are up to speed with a subject or activity, you have all the latest information necessary to understand or do something well:

  • A few days training on the new computer system will get you up to speed.

  • Before we start the meeting I'm going to bring you up to speed with the latest developments.