‖a. [ It. ] (Mus.) Gradually accelerating the movement. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Accelerated p. pr. & vb. n. Accelerating. ] [ L. acceleratus, p. p. of accelerare; ad + celerare to hasten; celer quick. See Celerity. ] 1. To cause to move faster; to quicken the motion of; to add to the speed of; -- opposed to retard. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To quicken the natural or ordinary progression or process of; as, to accelerate the growth of a plant, the increase of wealth, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To hasten, as the occurence of an event; as, to accelerate our departure. [ 1913 Webster ]

Accelerated motion (Mech.), motion with a continually increasing velocity. --
Accelerating force, the force which causes accelerated motion. Nichol. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- To hasten; expedite; quicken; dispatch; forward; advance; further. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. 1 caused to move faster
Syn. -- speeded up [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

2. 1 caused to be completed in a shorter than normal time period; speeded up, as of an academic course; He took an accelerated curriculum, and graduated in three years. Opposite of delayed.
Syn. -- expedited [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

n. [ L. acceleratio: cf. F. accélération. ] The act of accelerating, or the state of being accelerated; increase of motion or action; as, a falling body moves toward the earth with an acceleration of velocity; -- opposed to retardation. [ 1913 Webster ]

A period of social improvement, or of intellectual advancement, contains within itself a principle of acceleration. I. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

(Astr. & Physics.)
Acceleration of the moon, the increase of the moon's mean motion in its orbit, in consequence of which its period of revolution is now shorter than in ancient times. --
Acceleration and
retardation of the tides. See Priming of the tides, under Priming. --
Diurnal acceleration of the fixed stars, the amount by which their apparent diurnal motion exceeds that of the sun, in consequence of which they daily come to the meridian of any place about three minutes fifty-six seconds of solar time earlier than on the day preceding. --
Acceleration of the planets, the increasing velocity of their motion, in proceeding from the apogee to the perigee of their orbits. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Relating to acceleration; adding to velocity; quickening. Reid. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who, or that which, accelerates. Also as an adj.; as, accelerator nerves. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Accelerative. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Accelerate + -graph. ] (Mil.) An apparatus for studying the combustion of powder in guns, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Accelerate + -meter. ] An apparatus for measuring the velocity imparted by gunpowder. [ 1913 Webster ]