quicken
IPA: kwˈɪkʌn
noun
- (chiefly Ireland, Northern England) In full quicken tree: the European rowan, rowan, or mountain ash (Sorbus aucuparia).
- (chiefly Midlands (northern), Northern England, Northern Ireland, Scotland) Synonym of couch grass (“a species of grass, Elymus repens”); also (chiefly in the plural), the underground rhizomes of this, and sometimes other grasses.
verb
- Senses relating to life or states of activity.
- (transitive)
- To put (someone or something) in a state of activity or vigour comparable to life; to excite, to rouse.
- To inspire or stimulate (an action, a feeling, etc.).
- To stimulate or assist the fermentation of (an alcoholic beverage, dough, etc.).
- (literary, also figuratively) To give life to (someone or something never alive or once dead); to animate, to resurrect, to revive.
- (archaic) To make or help (something) to burn.
- (obsolete)
- To make (a drug, liquor, etc.) more effective or stimulating.
- (passive voice) Of a pregnant woman: to be in the state of reaching the stage of pregnancy at which the movements of the foetus are first felt.
- (intransitive)
- To take on a state of activity or vigour comparable to life; to be excited or roused.
- To grow bright; to brighten.
- Of an alcoholic beverage, dough, etc.: to ferment.
- (also figuratively) Of a pregnant woman: to first feel the movements of the foetus, or reach the stage of pregnancy at which this takes place; of a foetus: to begin to move.
- (literary, also figuratively)
- To give life; to make alive.
- To come back to life, to receive life.
- (rare) To inspire or stimulate.
- Senses relating to speed.
- To make (something) quicker or faster; to hasten, speed up.
- (construction, nautical (shipbuilding), archaic) To shorten the radius of (a curve); to make (a curve) sharper, or (an incline) steeper.
- (intransitive) To become quicker or faster.
- (transitive, rare) To apply quicksilver (mercury) to (something); to combine (something) with quicksilver; to quicksilver.
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Examples of "quicken" in Sentences
- What makes it quicken
- The project quickens as it goes.
- Now the pace of development quickened.
- The mountebank quickened his footsteps.
- The result quickens the pace of the game.
- They also quickened the pace of the texts.
- The music crescendoes as the pace quickens.
- Her pace quickens as she approaches her home.
- China's exports quicken, easing growth fears.
- After nationalisation in 1948, the pace of rundown quickened.
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