<B>accelerando, </B>adjective, adverb, noun, pl. <B>-dos,</B> <B>-di.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Music.) <DD><I>adj., adv. </I> gradually increasing in speed (used as a direction). <DD><I>noun </I> a gradual increase of speed. </DL>
<B>accelerate, </B>verb, <B>-ated,</B> <B>-ating.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1a. </B>to cause (anything in motion or process) to go or move faster; speed up. <BR> <I>Ex. The engineer accelerates a train by turning on more power.</I> (SYN) hurry, quicken. <DD><B> b. </B>to hasten the operation of (a process). <DD><B> 2. </B>to cause to happen sooner; hasten. <BR> <I>Ex. Sunshine, fresh air, and rest often accelerate a person's recovery from sickness.</I> (SYN) expedite. <DD><B> 3. </B>(Physics.) to change the velocity of (a moving object). <DD><B> 4. </B>(Education.) <DD><B> a. </B>to complete (a course of study) in less than the usual time. <BR> <I>Ex. to take accelerated math.</I> <DD><B> b. </B>to advance (a student) at a rate faster than average. <BR> <I>Ex. skipping grades to accelerate bright pupils.</I> <DD><I>v.i. </I> <B>1. </B>to increase in speed; go faster. <BR> <I>Ex. The more power the engineer turns on, the more the train accelerates. Stock prices surged yesterday as volume accelerated sharply (New York Times).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>to change in velocity. <DD><B> 3. </B>(Education.) to complete a course of study in less than the usual time. <BR> <I>Ex. ... undergraduates who go to summer sessions to accelerate (New York Times).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="accelerateddepreciation">
<B>accelerated depreciation,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Accounting.) the charging of depreciation of assets such as machinery and buildings at a rate faster than the normal rate. </DL>
<A NAME="acceleratedly">
<B>acceleratedly, </B>adverb.<DL COMPACT><DD> at a faster rate; with increasing speed. </DL>
<A NAME="acceleration">
<B>acceleration, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>an accelerating; speeding up or hastening. <BR> <I>Ex. Turning on more power causes the acceleration of a train. Acceleration of tooth decay is caused by lack of care.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>increased speed. <BR> <I>Ex. No, sir; you cannot conceive with what acceleration I advance towards death (Samuel Johnson).</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>(Physics.) <DD><B> a. </B>a change in velocity. An increase in velocity is expressed as positive acceleration; a decrease in velocity is expressed as negative acceleration. <DD><B> b. </B>the rate of this change. <DD><B> 4. </B>(U.S. and Canada.) the advancement of superior students to grades matching their abilities, regardless of a normal schedule of promotion. </DL>
<A NAME="accelerationclause">
<B>acceleration clause,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a clause in a contract stating that the seller may demand immediate payment in full of the outstanding balance if the buyer fails to meet one of the installment payments due. </DL>
<A NAME="accelerationofgravity">
<B>acceleration of gravity,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the rate of change in velocity of a freely falling body, caused by the force of gravity. The rate varies slightly with changes in latitude and altitude. At sea level, in the approximate latitude of New York City, it is 32.16 feet per second in each second of the fall of the body. </DL>
<A NAME="accelerative">
<B>accelerative, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> tending to accelerate; quickening. </DL>
<A NAME="accelerator">
<B>accelerator, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the thing that causes an increase in the speed of anything: <DD><B> a. </B>the pedal or lever that controls the speed of a motor vehicle by regulating the flow of fuel to the engine. <DD><B> b. </B>(Nuclear Physics.) a particle accelerator. <DD><B> c. </B>(Chemistry.) any substance that hastens a reaction, usually as a catalyst. <DD><B> d. </B>(Photography.) any substance or device that shortens the time of exposure or development. <DD><B> e. </B>(Physiology.) any muscle, nerve, or secretion that increases the speed of a bodily function. </DL>
<B>accelerograph, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a device for measuring the pressures developed by the combustion of an explosive in a closed, or nearly closed space, for example as in a cannon or underground. </DL>
<A NAME="accelerometer">
<B>accelerometer, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>an instrument for measuring acceleration, such as that of a moving vehicle, aircraft, or rocket. <DD><B> 2. </B>a device for measuring the pressure of gases at any point within a gun. </DL>
<A NAME="accent">
<B>accent, </B>noun, verb.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>the greater force or stronger tone of voice given to certain syllables or words. Accent is controlled by a change of pitch or by stress. <BR> <I>Ex. In "letter" the accent is on the first syllable.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>a mark sometimes written or printed to show the spoken force of a syllable. Some words have two accents, a stronger or primary accent and a weaker or secondary accent. Weakest accent is often left unmarked. <DD><B> 3. </B>a different way of pronouncing heard in different parts of the same country, or in the speech of a person speaking a language that is not his own. <BR> <I>Ex. a Southern accent. My father was born in Germany and still speaks English with a German accent.</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>a distinguishing mark, character, or tone. <BR> <I>Ex. The accent of humor characterizes his writings. Shakespeare's writing has the accent of greatness.</I> <DD><B> 5. </B>(Informal.) marked interest, favor, or approval; emphasis; stress. <BR> <I>Ex. Mother puts a considerable accent on good manners.</I> <DD><B> 6. </B>one of three marks, called acute, grave, and circumflex, used in French, Greek, and some other languages to indicate the quality of the vowel or as a conventional feature of the spelling. <DD><B> 7a. </B>emphasis on certain words or syllables in a line of poetry to give them rhythm. <DD><B> b. </B>a mark placed above or next to a stressed syllable. <DD><B> 8a. </B>a mark at the right of a number indicating minutes of a degree, two such marks indicating seconds, as in 20 degrees 10'30'' (read <I>20 degrees, 10 minutes, 30 seconds</I>). <DD><B> b. </B>one, two, or three marks at the right of a number used to denote feet, inches, and lines (twelfths of an inch), as in 3'6''7''' (read <I>3 feet, 6 inches, 7 lines</I>). <DD><B> c. </B>a mark placed at the right of a letter so that it may be used to represent different mathematical quantities, as in a', a'', a''' (read <I>a prime, a double prime</I> or <I>a second, a triple prime</I> or <I>a third;</I> in British usage this is read <I>a dash, a double dash, a triple dash</I>). <DD><B> 9. </B>(Music.) <DD><B> a. </B>emphasis on certain notes or chords. <DD><B> b. </B>a symbol for this. <DD><B> 10. </B>a touch of color or light that serves to bring the features of a structure into relief or furnish a contrast in a scheme of color. <DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1. </B>to pronounce or mark with an accent. <BR> <I>Ex. Is "acceptable" accented on the first or second syllable?</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>(Figurative.) to emphasize; accentuate. <BR><I>expr. <B>accents,</B> <DD><B> a. </B>tone of voice. </I> <I>Ex. The little girl spoke to her doll in tender accents.</I> <DD><B> b. </B>speech; language. <BR> <I>Ex. Winds! on your wings to heaven her accents bear (John Dryden).</I> adj. <B>accentless.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="accentmark">
<B>accent mark,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> accent (n. defs. 2, 6, and 9b). </DL>
<A NAME="accentor">
<B>accentor</B> or <B>accenter, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>any one of several birds noted for their melodious song, especially the hedge sparrow. <DD><B> 2. </B>a person who sings a leading part. </DL>
<A NAME="accents">
<B>accents, </B>noun pl.<DL COMPACT><DD> See under <B>accent.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="accentual">
<B>accentual, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>of accent; formed by accent. <DD><B> 2. </B>characterized by a pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables. Most English poetry is accentual; ancient Greek and Latin poetry is quantitative. (SYN) rhythmical. adv. <B>accentually.</B> </DL>
