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speedy

adj. · v.
US //ˈspiˌdi// UK //spˈiːdi// speedy
  1. 1 fast or quick (adj.)
    B1 Intermediate

    happening or moving very quickly.

    characterised by rapid motion or high speed; occurring without delay.

    Example

    The company promised a speedy delivery, and the package arrived the next morning.

    Example

    The patient made a remarkably speedy recovery following the surgery, returning to light exercise within just a few days.

  2. 2 to accelerate a process (v.)
    C1 Advanced Technical

    to make a process happen faster than usual.

    to process something in an accelerated or faster-than-normal manner. Transitive use, often found in administrative or technical contexts.

    Example

    The manager decided to speedy the application so the new employee could start on Monday.

    Example

    The department was asked to speedy the approval process to ensure the project met the end-of-quarter deadline.

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  1. 3 to delete quickly (v.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical Slang Computing

    to delete something immediately, usually on a website or wiki.

    to apply a rule for immediate deletion in an online community or database management system.

    Example

    The moderator had to speedy the page because it contained spam.

    Example

    Administrators are authorised to speedy articles that clearly violate the platform's core content policies without a full community discussion.

    Usage

    Often used in the phrase 'to speedy delete'.

Origin

From Middle English spedy, spedi, from Old English spēdiġ (“having good speed, lucky, prosperous; having means, wealthy, opulent, rich in material wealth; rich in, abounding in, abundant, plenteous, copious; powerful”), from Proto-Germanic *spōdigaz (“successful, hurried”), equivalent to speed + -y. Cognate with Scots speedy (“speedy”), Dutch spoedig (“speedy, swift, rapid, quick”), German sputig, spudig (“industrious, speedy”).

Word family
Idioms1 entry

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