fast

== English == === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation, General Australian, New Zealand, General South African) enPR: fäst, IPA(key): /fɑːst/ Rhymes: -ɑːst (Northern England, General American, Canada) enPR: făst, IPA(key): /fæst/ Rhymes: -æst === Etymology 1 === From Middle English fast, fest, from Old English fæst (“firm, secure”), from Proto-West Germanic *fast, from Proto-Germanic *fastuz; see it for cognates and further etymology. The development of “rapid” from an original sense of “secure” apparently happened first in the adverb and then transferred to the adjective; compare hard in expressions like “to run hard”. The original sense of “secure, firm” is now slightly archaic, but retained in the related fasten (“make secure”). Also compare close meaning change from Latin rapiō (“to snatch”) to Latin rapidus (“rapid, quick”), from Irish sciob (“to snatch”) to Irish sciobtha (“quick”). ==== Adjective ==== fast (comparative faster, superlative fastest) (dated) Firmly or securely fixed in place; stable. [from 9th c.] Synonyms: firm, immobile, secure, stable, stuck, tight Antonym: loose Hyponyms: bedfast, chairfast, colorfast, fail-fast, lightfast, shamefast, soothfast, steadfast Firm against attack; fortified by nature or art; impregnable; strong. Synonyms: fortified, impenetrable Antonyms: penetrable, weak (of people) Steadfast, with unwavering feeling. (Now mostly in set phrases like fast friend(s).) [from 10th c.] Moving with great speed, or capable of doing so; swift, rapid; light. [from 14th c.] Synonyms: quick, speedy, light (nuclear physics, of a neutron) Having a kinetic energy between 1 million and 20 million electron volts; often used to describe the energy state of free neutrons at the moment of their release by a nuclear fission or nuclear fusion reaction (i.e., before the neutrons have been slowed down by anything). Of a place, characterised by business, hustle and bustle, etc. Causing unusual rapidity of play or action. (computing, of a piece of hardware) Able to transfer data in a short period of time. Deep or sound (of sleep); fast asleep (of people). [16th–19th c.] Synonyms: deep, sound Antonym: light (of dyes or colours) Not running or fading when subjected to detrimental conditions such as wetness or intense light; permanent. [from 17th c.] Synonym: colour-fast (obsolete) Tenacious; retentive. (dated) Having an extravagant lifestyle or immoral habits. [from 18th c.] (offensive, vernacular, dated, of a girl or young woman) Uncharacteristically mature or promiscuous for one's age. Ahead of the correct time or schedule. [from 19th c.] Synonyms: ahead, (as in “the clock is gaining x minutes per hour/day”) gain Antonyms: behind, slow (of photographic film) More sensitive to light than average. [from 20th c.] ===== Usage notes ===== In the context of nuclear reactors or weaponry, fission-spectrum neutrons (neutrons with the spectrum of energies produced by nuclear fission) are frequently referred to as fast neutrons, even though the majority of fission-spectrum neutrons have energies below the 1-million-electron-volt cutoff. ===== Synonyms ===== (occurring or happening within a short time): quick, rapid, speedy, swift (capable of moving with great speed): see also Thesaurus:speedy (rapidly consents to sexual activity): easy, slutty; see also Thesaurus:promiscuous (firmly or securely fixed in place): see also Thesaurus:tight ===== Antonyms ===== (antonym(s) of “occurring or happening within a short time”): slow ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Translations ===== ==== Noun ==== fast (plural fasts) (British, rail transport) A train that calls at only some stations it passes between its origin and destination, typically just the principal stations. Synonyms: express, express train, fast train Antonyms: local, slow train, stopper ===== Translations ===== ==== Interjection ==== fast (archery) Ellipsis of stand fast, a warning not to pass between the arrow and the target. Antonym: loose ===== Translations ===== === Etymology 2 === From Middle English fast, faste, from Old English fæste, from fæst + -e (adverb-forming suffix). ==== Adverb ==== fast (comparative faster, superlative fastest) In a firm or secure manner, securely; in such a way as not to be moved; safe, sound [from 10th c.]. Synonyms: fastly, firmly, securely, tightly Antonym: loosely (of sleeping) Deeply or soundly [from 13th c.]. Synonym: deeply Antonym: lightly Immediately following in place or time; close, very near [from 13th c.]. Quickly, with great speed; within a short time [from 13th c.]. Synonyms: fastly (now nonstandard), quickly, rapidly, speedily, swiftly Antonym: slowly Ahead of the correct time or schedule. Synonym: ahead Antonym: behind ===== Translations ===== === Etymology 3 === From Middle English fasten, from Old English fæstan (“to fast”), from Proto-West Germanic *fastēn, from Proto-Germanic *fastāną (“to fast”), from the same root as Proto-Germanic *fastijaną (“to fasten”), derived from *fastuz, and thereby related to Etymology 1. The religious sense is presumably introduced in the Gothic church, from Gothic 𐍆𐌰𐍃𐍄𐌰𐌽 (fastan, “hold fast (viz. to the rule of abstinence)”). This semantic development is unique to Gothic, the term glosses Greek νηστεύω (nēsteúō), Latin ieiuno which do not have similar connotations of "holding fast". The feminine noun Old High German fasta likely existed in the 8th century (shift to neuter Old High German fasten from the 9th century, whence modern German Fasten). The Old English noun originally had the sense "fortress, enclosure" and takes the religious sense only in late Old English, perhaps influenced by Old Norse fasta. The use for reduced nutrition intake for medical reasons or for weight reduction develops by the mid-1970s, back-formed from the use of the verbal noun fasting in this sense (1960s). ==== Verb ==== fast (third-person singular simple present fasts, present participle fasting, simple past and past participle fasted) (intransitive) To practice religious abstinence, especially from food. 1677 George Fox, The Hypocrites Fast and Feast Not God's Holy Day, p. 8 (paraphrasing Matthew 6:16-18). And is it not the Command of Christ, that in their Fast they should not appear unto men to fast? (intransitive) To reduce or limit one's nutrition intake for medical or health reasons, to diet. (transitive, sciences) To cause (a person or animal) to abstain, especially from eating. Walker et al. (2007) At 11 weeks of age, all mice were fasted overnight and underwent gallbladder ultrasonography to determine ejection fraction. Semick et al. (2018) Kittens, when fasted overnight, were not hypoglycemic (<60 mg/dl). ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Translations ===== === Etymology 4 === From Middle English faste, fasten, from Old English fæsten (“fast, fasting”), from Proto-West Germanic *fastuni, from Proto-Germanic *fastu(b)nją (“fast, fasting”). Cognate with Old Frisian festene, feste (Modern West Frisian fêsten, fêste), Middle Dutch vastene (Modern Dutch vasten), Middle Low German vastene (Modern German Low German Fasten), German Faste, Fasten (“fast, fasting”), Gothic 𐍆𐌰𐍃𐍄𐌿𐌱𐌽𐌹 (fastubni, “fasting”). Possibly merged with Old Norse fasta (“fast, fasting”), whence also Danish faste (“fast, fasting”), Swedish fasta (“fast, fasting”). ==== Noun ==== fast (plural fasts) The act or practice of fasting, religious abstinence from food. 1677 George Fox, The Hypocrites Fast and Feast Not God's Holy Day, p. 8 (paraphrasing Matthew 6:16-18). And is it not the Command of Christ, that in their Fast they should not appear unto men to fast? Any of the fasting periods in the liturgical year. 1662 Peter Gunning, The Holy Fast of Lent Defended Against All Its Prophaners: Or, a Discourse, Shewing that Lent-Fast was First Taught the World by the Apostles (1677 [1662]), p. 13 (translation of the Paschal Epistle of Theophilus of Alexandria). And so may we enter the Fasts at hand, beginning Lent the 30th. day of the Month Mechir ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Translations ===== === References === William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “fast”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC. “fast”, in OneLook Dictionary Search. === Anagrams === AT&SF, ATFs, ATSF, FTAs, SAFT, TAFs, afts, fats, tafs == Catalan == === Etymology === Borrowed from Latin fāstus (“pride, arrogance”). === Pronunciation === IPA(key): (Central, Balearic, Valencia) [ˈfast] === Noun === fast m (plural fasts or fastos) pomp luxury ==== Related terms ==== fastuós === Further reading === “fast”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007 == Danish == === Etymology 1 === From Old Norse fastr, from Proto-Germanic *fastuz; see it for cognates and further etymology. ==== Pronunciation ==== IPA(key): /fast/, [fæsd̥] ==== Adjective ==== fast (plural and definite singular attributive faste) firm solid tight fixed permanent regular ===== Inflection ===== ===== Derived terms ===== === Etymology 2 === From German fast (“almost, nearly”). ==== Pronunciation ==== IPA(key): /fast/, [fasd̥] ==== Adverb ==== fast (dated) almost, nearly Synonyms: næsten, omtrent === Etymology 3 === See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form. ==== Pronunciation ==== IPA(key): /faːst/, [fæːˀsd̥] ==== Verb ==== fast imperative of faste == German == === Etymology 1 === From Middle High German vast, vaste, from Old High German fasto (“solidly, strictly, securely”), from Proto-West Germanic *fastō, from Proto-Germanic *fastuz. Cognate with Middle Low German vaste (whence German Low German fast), English fast (adverb). Compare also German fest, English fast (adjective), Dutch vast. ==== Pronunciation ==== IPA(key): /fast/ (Baden-Württemberg) IPA(key): /faʃt/ Homophone: fasst ==== Adverb ==== fast almost; nearly Synonyms: beinahe, knapp, nahezu Antonym: ganz Fast 60 Spielfilme sind zu sehen. ― There are almost 60 feature films to see. (in a negative clause) hardly Synonym: kaum (obsolete) extremely, very much === Etymology 2 === See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form. ==== Pronunciation ==== IPA(key): /faːst/ ==== Verb ==== fast inflection of fasen: second/third-person singular present second-person plural present plural imperative === Further reading === “fast” in Duden online “fast” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache Friedrich Kluge (1883), “fast”, in John Francis Davis, transl., Etymological Dictionary of the German Language, published 1891 == Icelandic == === Adverb === fast (comparative fastar, superlative fastast) strongly, with force að slá einhvern fast ― to strike someone with force === See also === fastur == Middle English == === Etymology === From Old English fæste. === Adverb === fast fast (quickly) ==== Descendants ==== English: fast → Irish: feiste ==== References ==== “fast(e, adv.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007. == Norwegian Bokmål == === Etymology 1 === From Old Norse fastr, from Proto-Germanic *fastuz; see it for cognates and further etymology. ==== Adjective ==== fast (neuter singular fast, definite singular and plural faste) solid, steady, firm, fixed, permanent fast telefon ― fixed phone ===== Derived terms ===== === Etymology 2 === ==== Verb ==== fast imperative of faste === References === “fast” in The Bokmål Dictionary. == Norwegian Nynorsk == === Etymology === From Old Norse fastr, from Proto-Germanic *fastuz; see it for cognates and further etymology. Akin to English fast. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /fɑst/ === Adjective === fast (indefinite singular fast, definite singular and plural faste, comparative fastare, indefinite superlative fastast, definite superlative fastaste) solid, steady, firm, fixed, permanent, stuck ==== Derived terms ==== === References === “fast” in The Nynorsk Dictionary. == Old Dutch == === Etymology === From Proto-West Germanic *fast, from Proto-Germanic *fastuz. === Adjective === fast firm, strong ==== Inflection ==== ==== Descendants ==== Middle Dutch: vast Dutch: vast Afrikaans: vas ==== References ==== “fast”, in Oudnederlands Woordenboek, 2012 == Old Saxon == === Etymology === From Proto-West Germanic *fastī, from Proto-Germanic *fastuz; see it for cognates and further etymology. === Adjective === fast solid, firm ==== Declension ==== ==== References ==== Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch‎[4] (in German), 5th edition == Romanian == === Etymology === Borrowed from French faste. === Noun === fast n (uncountable) splendour, pomp ==== Declension ==== == Scottish Gaelic == === Verb === fast (past dh'fhast, future fastaidh, verbal noun fastadh) alternative form of fastaidh (“hire, employ”) == Swedish == === Etymology === From Old Swedish faster, from Old Norse fastr, from Proto-Germanic *fastuz; see it for cognates and further etymology. === Pronunciation === === Adjective === fast caught (unable to move freely), captured fixed, fastened, unmoving firm, solid (as opposed to liquid) ==== Declension ==== ==== Derived terms ==== sätta fast åka fast ==== Related terms ==== === Adverb === fast fixed, firmly, steadily (synonymous with the adjective) att sitta fast ― to be stuck att sätta fast ― to attach (obsolete) almost, nearly och hade bedrifvit underslef af fast otrolig omfattning ― and had committed embezzlement of an almost unbelievable extent. === Conjunction === fast even though Synonym: fastän (somewhat informal) but Synonym: men Farsan löper också bra, fast inte lika fort ― Dad also runs well, though not as fast ==== Related terms ==== fastän === References === fast in Svensk ordbok (SO) fast in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL) fast in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB) === Anagrams === fats, saft, staf == Welsh == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /vasd/, [vast] === Etymology 1 === ==== Noun ==== fast soft mutation of mast (“mast”) ==== Mutation ==== === Etymology 2 === ==== Noun ==== fast soft mutation of bast (“dripping”) ==== Mutation ====