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Rapidity of motion; quickness; swiftness. Time, with all its celerity, moves slowly to him whose whole employment is to watch its flight. Johnson.

Brisk; nimble; moving with celerity. An alert young fellow. Addison.

destroy; to put an end to; to defeat. There thou mayst brain him. Shak. It was the swift celerity of the death . . . That brained my purpose. Shak.

isposition; a maneuver. Those evolutions are best which can be executed with the greatest celerity, compatible with regularity. Campbell.

iciency and rapidity in action; performed with, or acting with, expedition; quick; having celerity; speedily; as, an expeditious march or messenger. -- Ex`pe*di"tious*ly, adv. -- Ex`pe*di"tious*ness, n.

Swiftness; rapidity; velocity; celerity; speed; as, the fleetness of a horse or of time.

To move with celerity through the air; to fly away with a rapid motion; to dart along; to fleet; as, a bird flits away; a cloud flits along. A shadow flits before me. Tennyson.

A flying with lightness and celerity; a fluttering.

Bewildering on account of rapid turning; running round with celerity; gyratory; whirling. The giddy motion of the whirling mill. Pope.

Celerity of motion; speed; swiftness; dispatch; expedition; -- applied only to voluntary beings, as men and other animals. The king's business required haste. 1 Sam. xxi. 8.

To move celerity; to be rapid in motion; to act speedily or quickly; to go quickly. I hastened to the spot whence the noise came. D

To move or act with haste; to proceed with celerity or precipitation; as, let us hurry. To hurry up, to make haste. [Colloq.]

Light and quick in motion; moving with ease and celerity; lively; swift. Through the mid seas the nimble pinnace sails. Pope.

Swiftness; celerity. [R.] Ray.

Speedily; with haste or celerity; soon; without delay; quick.

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.

Very swift or quick; moving with celerity; fast; as, a rapid stream; a rapid flight; a rapid motion. Ascend my chariot; guide the rapid wheels. Milton.

The quality or state of being rapid; swiftness; celerity; velocity; as, the rapidity of growth or improvement.

To make haste; to move with celerity. I have speeded hither with the very extremest inch of possibility. Shak.

Moving a great distance in a short time; moving with celerity or velocity; fleet; rapid; quick; speedy; prompt. My beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath. James i. 19. Swift of dispatch and easy of access. Dryden. And bring upon themselves swift destruction. 2 Pet. ii. 1.…