Definition of quicken
quickened
;quickening
play \ˈkwi-kə-niŋ, ˈkwik-niŋ\transitive verb
1a : to make alive : reviveb : to cause to be enlivened : stimulate
2 archaic a : kindleb : to cause to burn more intensely
3 : to make more rapid : hasten, accelerate quickened her steps
4a : to make (a curve) sharperb : to make (a slope) steeper
intransitive verb
1 : to quicken something
2 : to come to life; especially : to enter into a phase of active growth and development seeds quickening in the soil
3 : to reach the stage of gestation at which fetal motion is felt
4 : to shine more brightly watched the dawn quickening in the east
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Examples of quicken in a Sentence
Stimulants can quicken the heart rate.
His pulse quickened at the thought of seeing her again.
The approach of the deadline quickened our sense of urgency.
The drama quickened when police arrived at the scene.
14th Century
First Known Use of quicken
14th century
Synonym Discussion of quicken
synonyms see in addition provoke
QUICKEN Defined for English Language Learners
quicken
playDefinition of quicken for English Language Learners
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: to make (something) faster
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: to become faster
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: to make (something, such as a feeling) stronger or more active
QUICKEN Defined for Kids
Medical Dictionary
Learn More about quicken
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See words that rhyme with quicken Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for quicken Spanish Central: Translation of quicken Nglish: Translation of quicken for Spanish speakers
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