particles moving at high velocities
measuring the velocity of sound
the velocity of a bullet
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High-velocity pitches and those with heavy movement, like sinkers, can be extremely difficult to judge in real time.—👁 Image Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 28 Mar. 2026 His velocity ticked up enough and his command was in a solid enough place that the Marlins penciled him into their bullpen to start the season.—👁 Image Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 28 Mar. 2026 Latz had pitched effectively in spring training, too, but the Rangers were concerned over a sharp drop in his fastball velocity after three innings.—👁 Image Evan Grant, Dallas Morning News, 28 Mar. 2026 Race for faster travel Fusion engines could combine both advantages, offering high thrust and high exhaust velocity.—👁 Image Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 26 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for velocity
Word History
Etymology
Middle English velocite, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French veloceté, borrowed from Latin vēlōcitāt-, vēlōcitās, from vēlōc-, vēlōx "swift, rapid" (of uncertain origin) + -itāt-, -itās-ity
Note:
If going back to earlier *ueg-s-l-o-, perhaps a derivative from the base of vegēre "to give vigor to, enliven" (see vegetate) or vehere "to convey" (Indo-European *u̯eǵh-; see vehicle), assimilated to the -ōk- of ātrōx, ferōx (see atrocious, ferocious). Alternatively, a derivative *uē-lo-, from the Indo-European base *h2u̯eh1- "blow" (hence, "windlike"; see wind entry 1) has been suggested.
