Definition of quicken
3
: to make more rapid : hasten, accelerate
quickened her steps
4a
: to make (a curve) sharper
b
: to make (a slope) steeper
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
5
: to become more rapid
her pulse quickened at the sight
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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Time Traveler for quicken
The first known use of quicken was in the 14th century
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