Decelerate
/diːˈsɛləreɪt/noun
To reduce speed; to slow down.
Did you know?The word is a modern Latin formation from de- (“down, away from”) + celerare (“to hasten”), and celer- is the same root behind the name of Mercury’s winged speed in Roman imagination.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
celer
“swift, quick”
Classical Latin
Latin
celerare
“to hasten, make quick”
Medieval Latin
Latin
decelerare
“to slow down, make less swift”
16th-17th Century
English
decelerate
“to lessen speed; retard motion”
Modern English
English
decelerate
“to reduce speed”
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