accelerator

noun

Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd Proto-Italic *ad Proto-Italic *ad- Latin ad- Proto-Indo-European *kel-der. Latin celer Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Italic *-āō Latin -ō Latin celerō Latin accelerō Latin accelerātuslbor. ▲ Latin accelerō Proto-Indo-European *-tis Proto-Indo-European *-Hō Proto-Indo-European *-tiHō Proto-Italic *-tiō Latin -tiō Latin accelerātiōder. English accelerationbf. English accelerate Proto-Indo-European *-tōr Proto-Italic *-tōr Latin -tor Latin -ātor Old French -eorbor. Middle English -our ▲ Latin -torlbor. English -or English accelerator * First attested in 1611. * (motor vehicle): First attested in 1900. * accelerate + -or

1. One who, or that which, accelerates.

   “The Second World War is said to have been a great accelerator for many scientific findings.”

2. A device for causing acceleration.
3. A substance which speeds up chemical reactions.
4. A pedal causing the vehicle to accelerate when it is pressed.

   “As soon as you get onto the slipway, push the accelerator.”

5. A chemical that reduces development time.
6. A device that accelerates charged subatomic particles; a particle accelerator.
7. A muscle or nerve that speeds the performance of an action.
8. An accelerator key.

   “If they had allowed single-character accelerators, Windows wouldn't be able to determine whether the character was input or a shortcut.”

9. A computer component using dedicated hardware to accelerate the processing and display of graphics.
10. A light van to take mails between a post office and a railway station.
11. A mentoring program for startup companies.

    “In the nineties, before the accelerator era, startups were usually launched by mid-career engineers or repeat entrepreneurs, who sought millions in venture capital and then labored in secret on something complicated that took years to launch.”