velocity

From Middle French vélocité, from Latin vēlōcitās (“speed”), from vēlōx (“fast”), thus a doublet of veloce.

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /vəˈlɒsəti/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /vəˈlɑsəti/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɒsɪti

velocity (countable and uncountable, plural velocities)

1. (physics) A vector quantity that denotes the rate of change of position with respect to time, combining speed with a directional component.

   A car racing in a circle may retain the same speed while continually changing its velocity.

2. Rapidity of motion.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:speed

   The train was travelling at a slower velocity than usual.

   • 1997, Thomas Pynchon, chapter 39, in Mason & Dixon, 1st US edition, New York: Henry Holt and Company, →ISBN, part Two: America, page 395:

     Over the winter-solid Roads, goes a great seething,— of mounted younger Gentlemen riding together by the dozens upon rented horses, Express Messengers in love with pure Velocity, Disgruntl'd Suitors with Pistols stuff'd in their Spatterdashes, seal'd Waggons not even a western Black-Boy would think of detaining.

3. The rate of occurrence.
4. (economics) The number of times that an average unit of currency is spent during a specific period of time.

• (rapidity of motion; rate of occurrence): speed

• constant-velocity
• four-velocity
• root mean square velocity
• velocimeter
• velocity curve
• velocity dispersion
• velocity potential