different between fling vs accelerate

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?fl??/
• Rhymes: -??

Etymology 1

From Middle English fling, from the verb (see below). Compare Icelandic flengur (“a fast sprint”).

Noun

fling (plural flings)

1. An act of throwing, often violently.
2. An act of moving the limbs or body with violent movements, especially in a dance.

3. An act or period of unrestrained indulgence.
   • 1838, Douglas William Jerrold, Men of Character

     When I was as young as you, I had my fling. I led a life of pleasure.
4. A short casual sexual relationship.

   Synonym: hookup

5. (figuratively) An attempt, a try (as in "give it a fling").
6. (obsolete) A severe or contemptuous remark; an expression of sarcastic scorn; a gibe or taunt.
   • c. 1732, Jonathan Swift, Epistle to a Lady

     I, who love to have a fling, / Both at senate house and king.

7. A lively Scottish country dance.

8. (obsolete) A trifling matter; an object of contempt.
   • ante 1800, old proverb

     England were but a fling / Save for the crooked stick and the grey goose wing.

Translations

Etymology 2

From Middle English flingen, flengen, from Old Norse flengja (“to whip”), from Proto-Germanic *flangijan? (“to beat, whip”), from Proto-Indo-European *pleh?k- (“to beat”). Cognate with Icelandic flengja (“to spank”), Norwegian flengja (“to rip, tear, or fling open”).

Verb

fling (third-person singular simple present flings, present participle flinging, simple past flung or (colloquial or dialectal, nonstandard) flang or (nonstandard) flinged, past participle flung or (nonstandard) flinged)

1. (intransitive, now archaic) To move (oneself) abruptly or violently; to rush or dash.
   • 1748, Samuel Richardson, Clarissa, Letter 113:

     I see, sir, said I, I see what a man I am with. […] And away I flung, leaving him seemingly vexed, and in confusion.

   • I flung closer to his breast, / As sword that, after battle, flings to sheath.

2. (transitive) To throw with violence or quick movement; to hurl.
   • I know thy generous temper well. / Fling but the appearance of dishonour on it, / It straight takes fire.
3. (intransitive, archaic) To throw; to wince; to flounce.
   • 1836, Helen Crocket, The Ettrick Shepherd's Last Tale

     The horse flung most potently, making his heels fly aloft in the air.

4. (intransitive, archaic) To utter abusive language; to sneer.

Translations

English

Etymology

First attested in the 1520s. Either from Latin acceler?tus, perfect passive participle of acceler? (“I accelerate, hasten”), formed from ad + celer? (“I hasten”), which is from celer (“quick”) (see celerity), or back-formation from acceleration.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?k.?s?l.?.??e?t/, /æk.?s?l.?.??e?t/, /?k.?s?l.?.??e?t/

Verb

accelerate (third-person singular simple present accelerates, present participle accelerating, simple past and past participle accelerated)

1. (transitive) To cause to move faster; to quicken the motion of; to add to the speed of.
2. (transitive) To quicken the natural or ordinary progression or process of.
3. (transitive, physics) To cause a change of velocity.
4. (transitive) To hasten, as the occurrence of an event.

5. (transitive, education) To enable a student to finish a course of study in less than normal time.
6. (intransitive) To become faster; to begin to move more quickly.
7. (intransitive) Grow; increase.
8. (obsolete) Alternative form of accelerated

Synonyms

• (to cause to move faster): hasten, quicken, speed up; see also Thesaurus:speed up
• (to quicken progress): expedite, further,
• (to hasten the occurrence of an event): advance, forward

Antonyms

• decelerate
• retard
• unaccelerate

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Adjective

accelerate

1. (rare) Accelerated; quickened; hastened; hurried.
   • 1662 Thomas Salusbury, Galileo's Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems, Dialogue 2:

     ... a general knowledg of the definition of motion, and of the distinction of natural and violent, even and accelerate, and the like, sufficing.

References

• John A. Simpson and Edward S. C. Weiner, editors (1989) , “accelerate”, in The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd edition, Oxford: Clarendon Press, ?ISBN

Italian

Adjective

accelerate

1. feminine plural of accelerato

Verb

accelerate

1. second-person plural present indicative of accelerare
2. second-person plural imperative of accelerare
3. feminine plural of accelerato

Latin

Verb

acceler?te

1. second-person plural present active imperative of acceler?