ac|cel|er|ate

ac|cel|er|ate «ak SEHL uh rayt», verb, -at|ed, -at|ing.

–v.t.

1. a) to cause (anything in motion or process) to go or move faster; speed up: »

The engineer accelerates a train by turning on more power.

SYNONYM(S): hurry, quicken. b) to hasten the operation of (a process).

2. to cause to happen sooner; hasten: »

Sunshine, fresh air, and rest often accelerate a person's recovery from sickness.

SYNONYM(S): expedite.

3. Physics. to change the velocity of (a moving object).

4. Education. a) to complete (a course of study) in less than the usual time: »

to take accelerated math.

b) to advance (a student) at a rate faster than average: »

skipping grades to accelerate bright pupils.

–v.i.

1. to increase in speed; go faster: »

The more power the engineer turns on, the more the train accelerates. Stock prices surged yesterday as volume accelerated sharply (New York Times).

2. to change in velocity.

3. Education. to complete a course of study in less than the usual time: »

... undergraduates who go to summer sessions to accelerate (New York Times).

╂[< Latin accelerāre (with English -ate¹) quicken < ad- to + celer swift]