Hyperdrive
/ˈhaɪ.pə.draɪv/noun
A propulsion system or mode of travel imagined to move a vehicle at superluminal or extremely high speed, especially in science fiction.
Did you know?The first part, hyper-, comes from Greek hyper, meaning “over” or “beyond,” a root that also gave English words like hyperbole and hypertension—so the “speed” fantasy is literally wrapped in a word of excess.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
ὑπέρ (hypér)
“over, above, beyond”
Late Latin
Latin
hyper-
“prefix borrowed from Greek, meaning over, above, beyond”
20th Century
English
hyper-
“prefix used in science and technical language to mean excessive, beyond normal, or above”
20th Century
English
drive
“a propulsion system or force of movement”
20th Century
English
hyperdrive
“a fictional propulsion system implying travel beyond normal speed”
Explore more surprising origins