<B>speech sound,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a sound produced by the organs of speech, especially such a sound viewed as a minimal unit of speech; phone. </DL>
<A NAME="speechsynthesizer">
<B>speech synthesizer,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a device that converts electronic signals into speech sounds. <BR> <I>Ex. A computerized word processor and speech synthesizer [helps] a patient construct sentences on a video screen ... and then directs the microprocessor to "speak" from a box containing the synthesizer (Science News).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="speechtherapist">
<B>speech therapist</B> or <B>pathologist,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a specialist in speech therapy. </DL>
<A NAME="speechtherapy">
<B>speech therapy</B> or <B>pathology,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the treatment of speech problems and disorders, such as stuttering, lisping, slow language development, and aphasia. <BR> <I>Ex. Experts in the profession of speech therapy work with children and adults whose speech interferes with communication (Hugo H. Gregory).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="speechway">
<B>speechway, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a habit or way of speech peculiar to a certain people or region. <BR> <I>Ex. For it is a fact that Americans differ from one another in their speechways, as they differ in their modes of life and in their occupations (Donald J. Lloyd).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="speechwriter">
<B>speechwriter, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a person who writes speeches for another. <BR> <I>Ex. a presidential speechwriter.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="speed">
<B>speed, </B>noun, verb, <B>sped</B> or <B>speeded,</B> <B>speeding.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>swift or rapid movement; quickness in moving from one place to another or in doing something. <BR> <I>Ex. to work with speed, the amazing speed with which a cat jumps on a mouse. He could run with the speed of a deer.</I> (SYN) rapidity, celerity, swiftness. <DD><B> 2. </B>rate of movement. <BR> <I>Ex. to regulate the speed of machines. The boys ran at full speed.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>an arrangement of gears to give a certain rate of movement. An automobile usually has three speeds forward and one backward. <DD><B> 4. </B>(Baseball.) the ability of a pitcher to throw balls hard. <BR> <I>Ex. So many men are like the pitcher. Plenty of speed but poor control(H. W. Raper).</I> <DD><B> 5. </B>(Archaic.) luck; success; prosperity. <BR> <I>Ex. The king wished us good speed (Daniel Defoe).</I> <DD><B> 6. </B>(Slang.) methamphetamine. <BR> <I>Ex. The user tends to be nervous ... because the "speed" dries up the membranes of the nose and mouth, leaving an uncomfortable, itchy feeling (Maclean's).</I> <DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1. </B>to make go fast; hasten. <BR> <I>Ex. to speed a horse. Let's all help speed the work.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>to send fast; hurry. <BR> <I>Ex. to speed reinforcements to the front.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>to help forward for further; promote. <BR> <I>Ex. to speed a bill through Congress, to speed an undertaking.</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>to further the going or progress of. <BR> <I>Ex. Welcome the coming, speed the parting guest (Alexander Pope).</I> <DD><B> 5. </B>to give a certain speed to (a machine or other mechanism). <DD><B> 6. </B>(Archaic.) to give success or prosperity to. <BR> <I>Ex. God speed you.</I> <DD><I>v.i. </I> <B>1. </B>to go fast. <BR> <I>Ex. The boat sped over the water.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>to go faster than is safe or lawful. <BR> <I>Ex. The car sped by the school bus. The car was caught speeding near the school zone.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>(Archaic.) to succeed; prosper; thrive. <BR> <I>Ex. The affair speeds well.</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>(Slang.) to use methamphetamine. <BR> <I>Ex. Heavy speeding invariably produces two psychic nightmares: hallucinations and paranoia (New York Times).</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>speed up,</B> </I>to go or cause to go faster; increase in speed; accelerate. <BR> <I>Ex. The United States has agreed to speed up delivery of 36 F-104 Starfighters to Jordan (Manchester Guardian Weekly).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="speedball">
<B>speedball, </B>noun, verb.<DL COMPACT><DD> (U.S.) <DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a game resembling soccer except that a ball caught in the air can be passed or thrown with the hands. <DD><B> 2. </B>a fast ball pitched in baseball. <DD><B> 3. </B>(Informal, Figurative.) a person who moves quickly. <BR> <I>Ex. When it comes to work around the house, she isn't exactly a speedball.</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>(Slang.) a mixture of cocaine and another drug, especially heroin, or amphetamine. <DD><I>v.i. </I> (Slang.) to take a mixture of cocaine and another drug. <BR> <I>Ex. Belushi died after he speedballed (mixed heroin and cocaine) (Time).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="speedballer">
<B>speedballer, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (U.S.) a fast baller. </DL>
<A NAME="speedboat">
<B>speedboat, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a motorboat built to go fast, especially for use on lakes and rivers. </DL>
<A NAME="speedboater">
<B>speedboater, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a person who engages in speedboating. </DL>
<A NAME="speedboating">
<B>speedboating, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the act or sport of riding in a speedboat. </DL>
<A NAME="speedbrake">
<B>speed brake,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> any flap designed for slowing down an airplane in flight. </DL>
<A NAME="speedcounter">
<B>speed counter</B> or <B>indicator,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> any one of various devices for indicating the speed of an engine, such as a tachometer or speedometer. </DL>
<A NAME="speedcup">
<B>speedcup, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a cuplike device to which the dial and pointer of a speedometer are attached. </DL>
<A NAME="speeddemon">
<B>speed demon,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Informal.) a speedster; one who enjoys moving at high speeds. </DL>
<A NAME="speeder">
<B>speeder, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a person or thing that speeds, especially a person who drives an automobile at a higher speed than is safe or lawful. <BR> <I>Ex. the judge's crackdown on speeders.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="speedfreak">
<B>speed freak,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (U.S. Slang.) a person addicted to the use of amphetamines, especially methamphetamine. </DL>
<A NAME="speedily">
<B>speedily, </B>adverb.<DL COMPACT><DD> with speed; quickly; soon; rapidly. </DL>
<B>speed limit,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the speed that a vehicle is forbidden by law or other regulation to exceed on a street, road, or highway, or part of it. </DL>
<A NAME="speedmidget">
<B>speed midget,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a small flashbulb that produces an extremely bright light for a short time (about 1/200 of a second). </DL>
<A NAME="speedometer">
<B>speedometer, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>an instrument to indicate the speed of an automobile or other vehicle. <DD><B> 2. </B>a similar instrument for indicating distance traveled; odometer. <DD><B> 3. </B><B>=tachometer.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="speedread">
<B>speed-read, </B>transitive verb, <B>-read,</B> <B>-reading.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> to read rapidly by taking in several words, phrases, or sentences at a glance. <BR> <I>Ex. I speed-read a detective novel and fall asleep by midnight (New Yorker).</I> noun <B>speed-reader.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="speedreading">
<B>speed reading,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a method of reading rapidly by taking in several words, phrases, or sentences at a glance. <BR> <I>Ex. Speed reading has been adopted by many harried business executives and government officials as a cure-all for paperwork pile-ups (New York Times).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="speedskating">
<B>speed skating,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> skating in competition, such as in a race against others or as a race against a set time limit. </DL>
<A NAME="speedster">
<B>speedster, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a person who drives, flies, or otherwise goes at high or reckless speed; speeder. <BR> <I>Ex. The speedsters, who pass each other on the autobahns at seventy-five and eighty miles an hour, were responsible ... for a tragic 21.7 per cent increase in accidents (New York Times).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>a speedboat, racing car, or the like. <BR> <I>Ex. The new ... pleasure line will include a 14-foot outboard, a 17-foot sports speedster ... and a 25-foot deluxe cabin cruiser (Wall Street Journal).</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>a very fast runner. <BR> <I>Ex. He watched speedsters ... place one-two in the 100-meter dash (Newsweek).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="speedtrap">
<B>speed trap,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a section of a highway under surveillance by concealed patrolmen, electronic devices for measuring speed, or by aircraft, along which even slight infraction of the speed limit may be penalized. </DL>
<A NAME="speedup">
<B>speed-up</B> or <B>speedup, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> an increase in speed, as in some process or work. <BR> <I>Ex. Among the urgent areas for study, the report included ... speed-up of boarding and deplaning procedures (Science News Letter).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="speedwalk">
<B>speedwalk, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a conveyor belt on a level or slight incline used to transport passengers a short distance; moving platform or sidewalk. <BR> <I>Ex. The Merrion centre also has a speedwalk 66 feet long for carrying shoppers up to first floor level (Manchester Guardian).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="speedway">
<B>speedway, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a highway for fast driving. <DD><B> 2. </B>a track for motor racing. <BR> <I>Ex. Here is how they finished ... in the thirteenth annual 500-mile motor classic on the Indianapolis speedway yesterday (Kansas City Star).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="speedwell">
<B>speedwell, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> any one of various low plants with leafy stems and small blue, purple, pink, or white flowers; veronica. The speedwells comprise a genus of plants of the figwort family. </DL>
<A NAME="speedwriting">
<B>Speedwriting, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Trademark.) a shorthand system using letters of the alphabet instead of symbols, in which words are written as they sound. (Examples:) <I>You</I> is written as <I>u, are</I> is written as <I>r,</I> and <I>eye</I> is written as <I>i.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="speedy">
<B>speedy, </B>adjective, <B>speedier,</B> <B>speediest.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>moving, going, or acting with speed; swift. <BR> <I>Ex. speedy workers. Most of them [ponies] are small, wiry beasts, not very speedy (Theodore Roosevelt).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>done with or characterized by speed; rapid; fast. <BR> <I>Ex. a speedy flight, speedy progress.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>rapidly coming or brought to pass. <BR> <I>Ex. a speedy change.</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>coming, given, or arrived at quickly or soon; prompt. <BR> <I>Ex. a speedy reply, a speedy decision.</I> </DL>
