a. Forms: 4–5 spedi, 4–6 spedy(e, 6 Sc. speidie, spidy (7 spidde); 6–7 speedie, 6– speedy. [f. SPEED sb. Cf. OE. spédiʓ prosperous, wealthy, powerful, etc.; MDu. spōd-, spoedich (Du. spoedig), MLG. spôdig, G. (from LG.) spudig (obs.), sputig, spütig.]
† 1. Advantageous, expedient, helpful. Obs.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Wks. (1880), 42. Þei schulle see þat it is spedy to here nedy.
c. 1400. Apol. Loll., 50. It semiþ good, spedi, and meritori, þat þe kirk be honorid.
c. 1449. Pecock, Repr., II. xii. 220. Therfore this … is a spedi condicioun and a myȝti forto helpe.
2. Moving, or able to move, with speed; going or travelling quickly; swift.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, VI. 591. He bad fif of his cumpany That … on fut spediast ware … Ryn eftir hym.
c. 1470. Henry, Wallace, I. 230. Wallace was spedy, and gretlye als agast.
1533. Bellenden, Livy, I. xi. (S.T.S.), I. 64. Ane knycht come to tullus on ane spedy hors.
1576. Fleming, Panopl. Epist., 120. Foure swifte and speedie legions.
1630. R. Johnson’s Kingd. & Commw., 421. The Barbary Horse is more speedy than the rest.
1641. Milton, Ch. Govt., I. vii. 41. They … can best judge how speedy we are to their relief.
1716. Pope, Iliad, V. 54. The speedy javelin drove from back to breast.
1811. Sporting Mag., XXXVII. 135. To get not only speedy but lasting racers.
absol. 1742. Young, Nt. Th., II. 223. Why spur the speedy? Why with levities New-wing thy … day’s too rapid flight?
† b. Speedy man, one formerly employed to carry from Oxford to Winchester intimations of vacancies at New College. Obs.
1825. C. Westmacott, Engl. Spy, I. 260. A speedy-man by nimbler foe Lies buried in the earth below. Ibid., note. Wm. Perkins … the New College Speedy-man.
3. Acting with speed; active, prompt, quick.
1504. C’tess Richmond, trans. De Imitatione, IV. vii. (1893), 269. So neglygent vnto the seruyce of god, so spedy to thende therof.
1551. T. Wilson, Logike (1580), 52 b. The Gospell then required speedie Preachers.
1589. Puttenham, Eng. Poesie, III. (Arb.), 241. Expeditio, or the speedie dispatcher.
1627. May, Lucan, III. 19. Three sisters speedy hands cannot suffice, For breaking threads has tyr’d the Destinies.
1702. in Pennsylv. Hist. Soc. Mem., IX. 125. Thy affairs here require a speedy hand.
1793. Smeaton, Edystone L., § 200. The mixtures … rendered the plaster less speedy in setting.
1821. Scott, Kenilw., xxxiv. Speak out, and be speedy.
b. That quickly becomes so.
1628. Feltham, Resolves, II. [I.] iii. 7. I will take heed both of a speedy friend and slow enemy. Love is never lasting that flames before it burns.
4. Characterized by speed of motion or progress from one place to another.
1382. Wyclif, Rom. i. 10. If by ony maner aftirward sumtyme I haue esy, or spedy, weie in the wille of God of comynge to you.
a. 1548. Hall, Chron., Edw. IV., 14. He then … beyng well furnished, with spedy iorneys, came safe to his citie of London.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., I. i. 39. Making speedy way through spersed ayre.
1618. in Foster, Eng. Factories Ind. (1906), I. 30. The conveyaunce would bee cheape, secure and speedy.
1685. Dryden, Ep. Albion & Albanius, 3. Feign’d Zeal … set out the speedier Pace; But, the last Heat, Plain Dealing won the Race.
a. 1701. Maundrell, Journ. Jerus. (1732), 144. The nearest and speediest way.
1797. S. & Ht. Lee, Canterb. T. (1799), I. 348. Favourable winds seemed for some time to promise them a speedy navigation.
1825. Scott, Talism., xxii. A horseman … had returned on a speedy gallop to El Hakim.
1860. Tyndall, Glac., I. xvi. 118. Our progress was much more speedy than it had been on starting in the morning. Ibid., II. ix. 273. The speedier central motion [of the glacier].
b. Of time: Passing rapidly.
1598. Yong, Diana, 123. As she thinkes the howers of her life short and speedie.
5. Characterized by speed in operation or action; taking place rapidly or quickly.
1529. Star Chamber Cases (Selden), II. 179. The king willing speding [? read spedy] remody for the same [sc. scarceness].
1577. B. Googe, Heresbach’s Husb., III. (1586), 156 b. Wee keepe vp Cattes for the auoiding of the mischiefe, neither is there a speedier remedie.
1602. Willis, Stenographie, A ij b. Secondly, in speedie writing: For he that is well practized in this Art, may write Verbatim, as fast as a man can treateably speake.
1653. W. Ramesey, Astrol. Restored, 128. It denoteth good success and speedy dispatch in the business.
1678. Marvell, Growth Popery, 21. Another Act for speedier convicting of Papists.
1726. Swift, Gulliver, II. vii. The speedy determination of civil and criminal causes.
1765. Museum Rust., IV. 5. Therefore some speedy remedy should be applied.
a. 1806. H. K. White, Lett. (1837), 273. The speedier disseminating of the blessed gospel.
1843. Sir C. Scudamore, Med. Visit Gräfenberg, 30. An impatient desire of urging crisis for the sake of a more speedy cure.
1867. Freeman, Norm. Conq. (1877), I. iv. 149. The speedy fusion of Normans and English was greatly promoted by the fact [etc.].
b. Rapidly brought to pass or to an end; quickly accomplished, arrived at, or obtained.
The distinction between this and the prec. sense is often very slight.
1607. Shaks., Cor., I. iii. 87. I will wish her speedy strength.
1648. Hamilton Papers (Camden), 184. To expect opportunites to assist and serue you, of which yee will see speedy effects.
1703. T. Brown, Mourning Poet, Wks. 1711, IV. 215. Neale started first, to raise a speedy Sum, A Million Lottery.
1747. Gray, Fav. Cat, 33. She mew’d to ev’ry wat’ry God, Some speedy aid to send.
1803. Med. Jrnl., X. 274. I flatter myself that the controversy will come to a speedy termination.
1855. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., xxii. IV. 701. Unless they could send him a speedy supply, his troops would … desert by thousands.
1895. Law Times, XCIX. 544/1. There are under the existing rules some facilities for obtaining a speedy decision in such cases.
6. quasi-adv. Speedily.
1601. Dolman, La Primaud. Fr. Acad. (1618), III. 782. As if they [Dolphins] had challenged the Marriners to trie who should goe speediest.
1632. J. Hayward, trans. Biondi’s Eromena, 12. Polimero … had put himselfe in that shippe only to get out the speedier from Birsa.
1756. Toldervy, Hist. 2 Orphans, III. 108. Humphry, having some reason to remember those sort of gentry, very speedy escaped into Drury-lane.
1796. J. Moser, Hermit Caucasus, I. 172. Are causes decided as speedy, and at as small an expence as possible?
1866. S. B. James, Duty & Doctrine (1871), 61. You in your future,… you in your speedy-coming actual experience.
7. Speedy cut, an injury on the inner side of a horse’s fore leg, near the knee, caused by the foot of the opposite leg when in motion. Also as v. and attrib. (sometimes with ellipse of cut).
1692. Lond. Gaz., No. 2787/4. Lost,… a sorrel Gelding, full-aged,… speedy-cuts the off Leg before. Ibid. (1697), No. 3351/4. A brown bay Nag,… speedy cut.
1831. Youatt, Horse, 244–5. The inside of the leg, immediately under the knee,… is subject to injury from what is termed the speedy cut.
1862. Catal. Internat. Exhib., Brit., II. No. 4693, Web, Fetlock, Speedy, Splint,… and Strengthening Boots.
1884. Knight, Dict. Mech., Suppl. 464/1. The upper or speedy-cut boot, which is concaved in front to fit … the hoof-boot.
Hence † Speedying vbl. sb., speeding, expediting.
1617. Earl Arundel, in Buccleuch MSS. (Hist. MSS. Comm.), I. 193. For the speedying whereof … I doubt not but your Lordships’ persuasions may prevail.
1650. Fuller, Pisgah, II. V. vi. 202. For the speedying of whose conversion he pleased to compose the many different judgments of Christians into one truth.
