velocity

Definition

A vector quantity that denotes the rate of change of position with respect to time, combining speed with a directional component.

Etymology

From Middle French vélocité, from Latin vēlōcitās (“speed”), from vēlōx (“fast”), thus a doublet of veloce.

Example Sentences

• "A car racing in a circle may retain the same speed while continually changing its velocity."
• "Usually, however, confluence is associated with an increase in air velocity and diffluence with a decrease. In the intermediate case, confluence is balanced by an increase in wind velocity and diffluence by a decrease in velocity."
• "Such angular distances imply undecelerated ejecta knot transverse velocities of 15,600 and 12,700 km/s respectively, assuming an explosion date ~1670 AD and a distance of 3.4 kpc."