Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition


Acceleration

Ac-celˊer-a′tion

,
Noun.
[L.
acceleratio
: cf. F.
accélération
.]
The act of accelerating, or the state of being accelerated; increase of motion or action;
as, a falling body moves toward the earth with an
acceleration
of velocity
; – opposed to
retardation
.
A period of social improvement, or of intellectual advancement, contains within itself a principle of
acceleration
.
I. Taylor.
(Astr. & Physics.)
Acceleration of the moon
,
the increase of the moon’s mean motion in its orbit, in consequence of which its period of revolution is now shorter than in ancient times.
Acceleration
and
retardation of the tides
.
See
Priming of the tides
, under
Priming
.
Diurnal acceleration of the fixed stars
,
the amount by which their apparent diurnal motion exceeds that of the sun, in consequence of which they daily come to the meridian of any place about three minutes fifty-six seconds of solar time earlier than on the day preceding.
Acceleration of the planets
,
the increasing velocity of their motion, in proceeding from the apogee to the perigee of their orbits.

Webster 1828 Edition


Acceleration

ACCELERA'TION

,
Noun.
The act of increasing velocity or progress; the state of being quickened in motion or action. Accelerated motion in mechanics and physics, is that which continually receives accessions of velocity; as, a falling body moves towards the earth with an acceleration of velocity. It is the opposite of retardation.
Acceleration of the moon, is the increase of the moon's mean motion from the sun, compared with the diurnal motion of the earth; the moon moving with more velocity now than in ancient times - a discovery made by Dr. Halley.
The diurnal acceleration of the fixed stars, is the time by which they anticipate the mean diurnal revolution of the sun, which is nearly three minutes, fifty-six seconds.

Definition 2024


acceleration

acceleration

See also: accélération

English

Alternative forms

Noun

acceleration (countable and uncountable, plural accelerations)

  1. (uncountable) The act of accelerating, or the state of being accelerated; increase of motion or action; as opposed to retardation or deceleration.
    a falling body moves toward the earth with an acceleration of velocity
  2. (countable) The amount by which a speed or velocity increases (and so a scalar quantity or a vector quantity).
    The boosters produce an acceleration of 20 metres per second per second.
    • (Can we date this quote?) Isaac Taylor
      A period of social improvement, or of intellectual advancement, contains within itself a principle of acceleration []
  3. (physics) The change of velocity with respect to time (can include deceleration or changing direction).
  4. The advancement of students at a rate that places them ahead of where they would be in the regular school curriculum.

Usage notes

Acceleration in SI units is measured in metres per second per second (m/s2), or in imperial units in feet per second per second (ft/s2).

Antonyms

Translations

See also

References

  1. Elliott K. Dobbie, C. William Dunmore, Robert K. Barnhart, et al. (editors), Chambers Dictionary of Etymology (Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2004 [1998], ISBN 0550142304), page 6

Interlingua

Noun

acceleration (plural accelerationes)

  1. acceleration

Swedish

Etymology

accelerera + -tion

Noun

acceleration c

  1. acceleration; a change in velocity

Declension

Inflection of acceleration 
Singular Plural
Indefinite Definite Indefinite Definite
Nominative acceleration accelerationen accelerationer accelerationerna
Genitive accelerations accelerationens accelerationers accelerationernas