celerity (n.)
"swiftness, rapidity of motion," late 15c., from Old French celeritee (14c., Modern French célérité), from Latin celeritatem (nominative celeritas) "swiftness," from celer "swift," from PIE *keli- "speeding" (source also of Sanskrit carati "goes," Greek keles "fast horse or ship," Lithuanian šuoliai "a gallop," Old High German scelo "stallion").
Entries linking to celerity
1520s, "hasten the occurrence of;" 1590s, "make quicker" (implied in accelerating), from Latin acceleratus, past participle of accelerare "to hasten, quicken" (trans.), "make haste" (intrans.), from ad "to" (see ad-) + celerare "hasten," from celer "swift," which is perhaps from PIE *keli- "speeding" (see celerity). The intransitive sense of "go faster, become faster" in English is from 1640s. Related: Accelerated; accelerative.
"act or condition of going faster," 1530s, from Latin accelerationem (nominative acceleratio) "a hastening," noun of action from past-participle stem of accelerare "to hasten, quicken," from ad "to" (see ad-) + celerare "hasten," from celer "swift," which is perhaps from PIE *keli- "speeding" (see celerity).
updated on June 01, 2018
Dictionary entries near celerity
celebrate
celebrated
celebration
celebratory
celebrity
celerity
celery
Celeste
celestial
Celia
celiac
