Hasting

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. The act of moving or doing something quickly and with urgency; a surname referring to historical figures; a place name in some regions
2. The process of hastening or accelerating an action or event; an English last name with notable bearers; a geographic designation in various locations
3. The state of proceeding rapidly toward a goal or outcome; identification as a family name known in historical contexts; a term applied to certain towns or areas

Etymology: In the sense of early crops, "hastings" is an old English term for the first peas, fruit and vegetables to ripen, the ones that came in ahead of the main harvest. The name comes from haste, so the crop is named for its earliness rather than for anything about the plant itself. The verb is built on the same root, haste, which Middle English borrowed from Old French. Because the noun and the verb share that source, the idea of hurry runs through both. The place name Hastings is a different word with a different origin, built on an Old English personal name, and only looks alike by chance.

Synonyms: hurry, rush

Antonyms: slowing