Velox

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Characterizing something that is swift or rapid in nature
2. Describing a quality of being quick in movement or action
3. Indicating an inherent speed or agility in performance or response

Etymology: Latin "velox" meant "swift" or "rapid," and Roman writers used it of fast runners and animals. It belongs to the same family as "velocitas," the noun behind English "velocity." The most surprising afterlife is commercial. Kodak sold a photographic printing paper called Velox, a name chosen to suggest that images printed quickly on it. A Latin adjective for speed ended up on camera-shop shelves. In English the adjective itself is uncommon, turning up mostly in Latinate prose and brand names. Its clearest English descendant is "velocipede," a compound of "velox" and "pes," Latin for "foot," describing an early wheeled vehicle propelled by the rider's feet.

Synonyms: swift, fast

Antonyms: slow, lethargic