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velocity

[vuh-los-i-tee]
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noun, plural ve·loc·i·ties.
  1. rapidity of motion or operation; swiftness; speed: a high wind velocity.
  2. Mechanics. the time rate of change of position of a body in a specified direction.
  3. the rate of speed with which something happens; rapidity of action or reaction.
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Origin of velocity

First recorded in 1540–50, velocity is from the Latin word vēlōcitās speed. See velocipede, -ty2

Synonyms

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1. See speed.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for velocity

Contemporary Examples

Historical Examples

  • In other words the pressure of the wind increases with the square of the velocity.

    Flying Machines

    W.J. Jackman and Thos. H. Russell

  • Pressure of wind increases in proportion to the square of the velocity.

    Flying Machines

    W.J. Jackman and Thos. H. Russell

  • Still, still the hunter pursued; he suspended not the velocity of his course.

    Imogen

    William Godwin

  • With the growth had come an immense augmentation of velocity.

    The World Beyond

    Raymond King Cummings

  • Thus the elasticity of the air determines the velocity of sound in it.

    The Machinery of the Universe

    Amos Emerson Dolbear

British Dictionary definitions for velocity

velocity

noun plural -ties
  1. speed of motion, action, or operation; rapidity; swiftness
  2. physics a measure of the rate of motion of a body expressed as the rate of change of its position in a particular direction with time. It is measured in metres per second, miles per hour, etcSymbol: u, v, w
  3. physics (not in technical usage) another word for speed (def. 3)
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Word Origin

C16: from Latin vēlōcitās, from vēlōx swift; related to volāre to fly
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for velocity

n.

1550a, from Latin velocitatem (nominative velocitas) "swiftness, speed," from velox (genitive velocis) "swift," of uncertain origin, perhaps related to vehere "carry" (see vehicle), or from the same root as vegetable (see vigil).

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
velocity in Medicine

velocity

(və-lŏs′ĭ-tē)
n.
  1. Rapidity or speed of motion; specifically, the distance traveled per unit time.
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The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
velocity in Science

velocity

[və-lŏs′ĭ-tē]
  1. The speed and direction of motion of a moving body. Velocity is a vector quantity. Compare acceleration speed.
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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
velocity in Culture

velocity

The vector giving the speed and direction of motion of any object.

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The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.