/ əkˈseləreɪt; NAmE / verb
1.
to happen or to make sth happen faster or earlier than expected :
[ v ]
Inflation continues to accelerate.
[ vn ]
Exposure to the sun can accelerate the ageing process.
2.
[ v ] ( of a vehicle or person ) to start to go faster :
The runners accelerated smoothly around the bend.
The car accelerated to overtake me.
OPP decelerate
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WORD ORIGIN
early 16th cent. (in the sense to make something happen faster): from Latin accelerat- hastened, from the verb accelerare , from ad- towards + celer swift.