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The Collaborative International Dictionary
Speed gauge

Speed \Speed\, n. [AS. sp?d success, swiftness, from sp?wan to succeed; akin to D. spoedd, OHG. spuot success, spuot to succees, Skr. sph[=a] to increase, grow fat. [root]170b.]

  1. Prosperity in an undertaking; favorable issue; success. ``For common speed.''
    --Chaucer.

    O Lord God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day.
    --Gen. xxiv. 1

  2. 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.

    Note: 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, & 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.