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A falling, flowing, or rushing downward with violence and rapidity. The hurry, precipitation, and rapid motion of the water, returning . . . towards the sea. Woodward.

Very quickly; with great rapidity.

To move with rapidity or activity; to become accelerated; as, his pulse quickened.

Activity; briskness; especially, rapidity of motion; speed; celerity; as, quickness of wit. This deed . . . must send thee hence With fiery quickness. Shak. His mind had, indeed, great quickness and vigor. Macaulay.

To pass with violence or rapidity; to scrape along. Pas could not stay, but over him did rake. Sir P. Sidney.

Quality of being rapid; rapidity.

Rapidity. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.

A seizing by violence; a hurrying along; rapidity with violence. [Obs.] That 'gainst a rock, or flat, her keel did dash With headlong rapture. Chapman.

To move forward with impetuosity, violence, and tumultuous rapidity or haste; as, armies rush to battle; waters rush down a precipice. Like to an entered tide, they all rush by. Shak.

eated to above a red heat and cooled in air, usually in a blast of cold air with moderate rapidity, without quenching. Such steels are alloys of iron and carbon with manganese, tungsten and manganese, chromium, molybdenum and manganese, etc. They are chiefly used as high-speed steels. -- Self`-hard"en*ed, a.…

To lose rapidity; to become more slow; as, a current of water slackens.

, to step into an estate. -- To step out. (a) (Mil.) To increase the length, but not the rapidity, of the step, extending it to thirty-tree inches. (b) To go out for a short distance or a short time. -- To step short (Mil.), to diminish the length or rapidity of the step according to the established rules.…

Moving with rapidity or force; violent; forcible; impetuous; as, a strong current of water or wind; the wind was strong from the northeast; a strong tide.

To pass over anything comprehensively; to range through with rapidity; as, his eye sweeps through space.

The quality or state of being swift; speed; quickness; celerity; velocity; rapidity; as, the swiftness of a bird; the swiftness of a stream; swiftness of descent in a falling body; swiftness of thought, etc.

To beat, or pulsate, with more than usual force or rapidity; to beat in consequence of agitation; to palpitate; -- said of the heart, pulse, etc. My heart Throbs to know one thing. Shak. Here may his head lie on my throbbing breast. Shak.

To tread with force and rapidity; to stamp.

Quickness of motion; swiftness; speed; celerity; rapidity; as, the velocity of wind; the velocity of a planet or comet in its orbit or course; the velocity of a cannon ball; the velocity of light.

A turning with rapidity or velocity; rapid rotation or circumvolution; quick gyration; rapid or confusing motion; as, the whirl of a top; the whirl of a wheel. "In no breathless whirl." J. H. Newman. The rapid . . . whirl of things here below interrupt not the inviolable rest and calmness of the noble beings above. Sou…

Having wings attached to the feet; as, wing-footed Mercury; hence, swift; moving with rapidity; fleet. Drayton.