fast

Borrowed from Latin fāstus (“pride, arrogance”).


fast

fast (positive)
faste (plural positive)
faste (positive)

From Old Norse fastr, from Proto-Germanic *fastuz; see it for cognates and further etymology.


fast

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.


fast

That rope is dangerously loose. Make it fast!

(dated) Firmly or securely fixed in place; stable.

out-lawes […] lurking in woods and fast places

1596 (date written; published 1633), Edmund Spenser, A Vewe of the Present State of Irelande […], Dublin: […] Societie of Stationers, […], →OCLC; republished as A View of the State of Ireland […] (Ancient Irish Histories), Dublin: […] Society of Stationers, […] Hibernia Press, […] [b]y John Morrison, 1809, →OCLC:

Firm against attack; fortified by nature or art; impregnable; strong.

I still hear you sayin', "Dear one, hold me fast"

1933, Will Hudson, Irving Mills, Eddy DeLange, Moonglow:

(of people) Steadfast, with unwavering feeling. (Now mostly in set phrases like fast friend(s).)

I am going to buy a fast car.

Moving with great speed, or capable of doing so; swift, rapid.

Plutonium-240 has a much higher fission cross-section for fast neutrons than for thermal neutrons.

(nuclear physics, of a neutron) Having a kinetic energy between 1 million and 20 million electron volts; often used to describe the energy state of free neutrons at the moment of their release by a nuclear fission or nuclear fusion reaction (i.e., before the neutrons have been slowed down by anything).

Sydney is a fast city, and the pace is becoming increasingly more frantic.

1968, Carl Ruhen, The Key Club, Sydney: Scripts, page 15:

Of a place, characterised by business, hustle and bustle, etc.

a fast racket, or tennis court

a fast track

a fast billiard table

a fast dance floor

Causing unusual rapidity of play or action.

(computing, of a piece of hardware) Able to transfer data in a short period of time.

Since his majesty went into the field, I have seen her rise from her bed, throw her nightgown upon her, unlock her closet, take forth paper, fold it, write upon’t, read it, afterwards seal it, and again return to bed; yet all this while in a most fast sleep.

c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i]:

Deep or sound (of sleep); fast asleep (of people).

All the washing has come out pink. That red tee-shirt was not fast.

(of dyes or colours) Not running or fading when subjected to detrimental conditions such as wetness or intense light; permanent.

Roses, damask and red, are fast flowers of their smells.

1625, Francis [Bacon], “Of Gardens”, in The Essayes […], 3rd edition, London: […] Iohn Haviland for Hanna Barret, →OCLC:

a fast woman

[…] we remember once hearing a fast man suggest that they were evidently "nobs who had overdrawn the badger by driving fast cattle, and going it high" — the exact signification of which words we did not understand […]

1852, John Swaby, Physiology of the Opera, page 74:

Had Senator Wilson won the unenviable reputation of being a fast man—a lover of wine, or had he shown himself to the public in a state of inebriety, unable to stand erect in Fanueil Hall for instance, leaning upon the desk to “maintain the center of gravity,” and uttering words that fell sprawling in “muddy obscurity” from lips redolent of rum, rendering it necessary for a prompter and an interpreter to sculpture his speech into symmetry for the public ear and the public press, he would have been pelted from his high office with the indignant ballots of his constituents.

1867, George W. Bungay, “Temperance and its Champions”, in The Herald of Health and Journal of Physical Culture, volume I, page 277:

You're alone with her at last / And you're waiting 'til you think the time is right / Cause you've heard she's pretty fast / And you're hoping that she'll give you some tonight.

(dated) Having an extravagant lifestyle or immoral habits.

There must be something wrong with the hall clock. It is always fast.

gain

as in “the clock is gaining ''x'' minutes per hour/day”

(of photographic film) More sensitive to light than average.

(offensive, vernacular, of a girl or young woman) Uncharacteristically mature or promiscuous for one's age.

en-adj

fast (comparative faster, superlative fastest)

faster (comparative)
fastest (superlative)

slow

antonym(s) of “occurring or happening within a short time”

don't drive faster than your guardian angel can fly

uskollinen

of friend: steadfast, with unwavering feeling

алас

moving or capable of moving with great speed

masalusu

velocity of a flowing liquid in a body of water

nopea

causing unusual rapidity of play or action

nopea

computing: able to transfer data in a short period of time

menevä

having an extravagant lifestyle or immoral habits

迅速曝光的

of photographic film: more sensitive to light than average

From Middle English fast, fest, from Old English fæst (“firm, secure”), from Proto-West Germanic *fast, from Proto-Germanic *fastuz; see it for cognates and further etymology.
The development of “rapid” from an original sense of “secure” apparently happened first in the adverb and then transferred to the adjective; compare hard in expressions like “to run hard”. The original sense of “secure, firm” is now slightly archaic, but retained in the related fasten (“make secure”). Also compare close meaning change from Latin rapiō (“to snatch”) to Latin rapidus (“rapid, quick”), from Irish sciob (“to snatch”) to Irish sciobtha (“quick”).


fast

Hold this rope as fast as you can.

Shylock:
[…]Do as I bid you; shut doors after you:
Fast bind, fast find;
A proverb never stale in thrifty mind.

c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene v]:

Nine hundred of the ſtrongeſt Men were employed to draw up theſe Cords by many Pulleys faſtned on the Poles, and thus, in leſs than three Hours, I was raiſed and flung into the Engine, and there tyed faſt.

1726 October 28, [Jonathan Swift], “The Author Gives Some Account of Himself and Family, His First Inducements to Travel. […]”, in Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. […] [Gulliver’s Travels], volume I, London: […] Benj[amin] Motte, […], →OCLC, part I (A Voyage to Lilliput), page 20:

In a firm or secure manner, securely; in such a way as not to be moved; safe, sound .

The princess was sleeping fast, and her servants were fast asleep too.

The horsemen came fast on our heels.

Fast by the sturdy batsman the ball unheeded sped. / That ain't my style, said Casey. Strike one, the umpire said.

Immediately following in place or time; close, very near .

Do it as fast as you can.

Faster than a speeding bit, the internet upended media and entertainment companies. Piracy soared, and sales of albums and films slid. Newspapers lost advertising and readers to websites. Stores selling books, CDs and DVDs went bust. Doomsayers predicted that consumers and advertisers would abandon pay-television en masse in favour of online alternatives.

2013 August 17, “Pennies streaming from heaven”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8849:

Quickly, with great speed; within a short time .

I think my watch is running fast.


fast

(British, rail transport) A train that calls at only some stations it passes between its origin and destination, typically just the principal stations


fast

(archery) Short for "stand fast", a warning not to pass between the arrow and the target


fast

Thou didst fast and weep for the child.

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 2 Samuel 12:21:

Fasting he went to sleep, and fasting waked.

1671, John Milton, “The First Book”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for John Starkey […], →OCLC, page 2:

1677 George Fox, The Hypocrites Fast and Feast Not God's Holy Day, p. 8 (paraphrasing Matthew 6:16-18).
And is it not the Command of Christ, that in their Fast they should not appear unto men to fast?

It is at the core of the Vision Quest, the solitary period of fasting and closeness to the earth to discover one's life path and purpose.

(intransitive) To practice religious abstinence, especially from food.

The ideal would be to fast in a situation where you are not tempted by food

1977, Suza Norton, “To get the most benefit from fasting use a body-building diet”, in Yoga Journal, Jul-Aug 1977, p. 40:

After the equilibration period, the rats designated for deprivation studies were made to fast for 24, 48, 72, or 96 hr according to experimental design.

1983, Experimental Lung Research, volumes 5-6, Informa healthcare, page 134:

(intransitive) To reduce or limit one's nutrition intake for medical or health reasons, to diet.

At 11 weeks of age, all mice were fasted overnight and underwent gallbladder ultrasonography to determine ejection fraction.

Kittens, when fasted overnight, were not hypoglycemic (<60 mg/dl).

(transitive) (academic) To cause a person or animal to abstain, especially from eating.

en-verb

fast (third-person singular simple present fasts, present participle fasting, simple past and past participle fasted)

fasts (present singular third-person)
fasting (participle present)
fasted (participle past)
fasted (past)

From Middle English fasten, from Old English fæstan (verb), Old English fæsten (noun) from
From Proto-Germanic *fastāną (“fast”), from the same root as Proto-Germanic *fastijaną (“fasten”), derived from *fastuz, and thereby related to Etymology 1.
The religious sense is presumably introduced in the Gothic church, from Gothic 𐍆𐌰𐍃𐍄𐌰𐌽 (fastan, “hold fast (viz. to the rule of abstinence)”). This semantic development is unique to Gothic, the term glosses Greek νηστεύω (nēsteúō), Latin ieiuno which do not have similar connotations of "holding fast".
The feminine noun Old High German fasta likely existed in the 8th century (shift to neuter Old High German fasten from the 9th century, whence modern German Fasten).
The Old English noun originally had the sense "fortress, enclosure" and takes the religious sense only in late Old English, perhaps influenced by Old Norse fasta.
The use for reduced nutrition intake for medical reasons or for weight reduction develops by the mid-1970s, back-formed from the use of the verbal noun fasting in this sense (1960s).


fast

anciently a change of diet was not reckoned a fast; but it consisted in a perfect abstinence from all sustenance for the whole day till evening.

1878, Joseph Bingham, The Antiquities of the Christian Church, volume 2, page 1182:

The act or practice of fasting, religious abstinence from food

1662 Peter Gunning, The Holy Fast of Lent Defended Against All Its Prophaners: Or, a Discourse, Shewing that Lent-Fast was First Taught the World by the Apostles (1677 [1662]), p. 13 (translation of the Paschal Epistle of Theophilus of Alexandria).
And so may we enter the Fasts at hand, beginning Lent the 30th. day of the Month Mechir

One of the fasting periods in the liturgical year


fast

Fast 60 Spielfilme sind zu sehen.

There are almost 60 feature films to see.

ALs nu Abram in Egypten kam / sahen die Egypter das Weib / das sie fast schön war.

1545, Martin Luther et al., “Biblia”, in Gen 12:14, Hans Lufft:

Now as Abram came into Egypt, the Egyptians saw the woman, that she was extremely beautiful.

From Old High German fasto, compare fest. Cognate with English adverb fast. Compare Dutch vast.


fast

inflection of fasen:
second/third-person singular present

inflection of fasen:
second-person plural present


fast

að slá einhvern fast


fast

English: fast

→ Irish: feiste


fast

fast telefon

head

fast (neuter singular fast, definite singular and plural faste)

fast (neuter singular)
faste (definite plural singular)


fast

solid, steady, firm, fixed, permanent, stuck

fast (indefinite singular)
faste (definite plural singular)
fastare (comparative)
fastast (indefinite superlative)
fastaste (definite superlative)

From Old Norse fastr, from Proto-Germanic *fastuz; see it for cognates and further etymology. Akin to English fast.


fast

fast (masculine nominative singular strong)
faste (masculine nominative plural strong)
fasta (masculine nominative plural strong)
fast (feminine nominative singular strong)
fasta (feminine nominative plural strong)
fast (neuter nominative singular strong)
fast (neuter nominative plural strong)
fasta (neuter nominative plural strong)
fastan (accusative masculine singular strong)
fasten (accusative masculine singular strong)
fasta (accusative masculine plural strong)
faste (accusative masculine plural strong)
fasta (accusative feminine singular strong)
fasta (accusative feminine plural strong)
fast (accusative neuter singular strong)
fast (accusative neuter plural strong)
fasta (accusative neuter plural strong)
fastes (genitive masculine singular strong)
fastas (genitive masculine singular strong)
fastaro (genitive masculine plural strong)
fastoro (genitive masculine plural strong)
fastero (genitive masculine plural strong)
fastara (feminine genitive singular strong)
fastaro (feminine genitive singular strong)
fastaro (feminine genitive plural strong)
fastoro (feminine genitive plural strong)
fastero (feminine genitive plural strong)
fastes (genitive neuter singular strong)
fastas (genitive neuter singular strong)
fastaro (genitive neuter plural strong)
fastoro (genitive neuter plural strong)
fastero (genitive neuter plural strong)
fastumu (dative masculine singular strong)
fastum (dative masculine singular strong)
fastun (dative masculine singular strong)
faston (dative masculine singular strong)
fasten (dative masculine singular strong)
fastan (dative masculine singular strong)
fastun (dative masculine plural strong)
faston (dative masculine plural strong)
fastum (dative masculine plural strong)
fastaro (dative feminine singular strong)
fastaru (dative feminine singular strong)
fastara (dative feminine singular strong)
fastun (dative feminine plural strong)
faston (dative feminine plural strong)
fastumu (dative neuter singular strong)
fastum (dative neuter singular strong)
fastun (dative neuter singular strong)
faston (dative neuter singular strong)
fasten (dative neuter singular strong)
fastan (dative neuter singular strong)
fastun (dative neuter plural strong)
faston (dative neuter plural strong)
fastum (dative neuter plural strong)
fasto (masculine nominative singular weak)
fasta (masculine nominative singular weak)
faston (masculine nominative plural weak)
fastun (masculine nominative plural weak)
fasta (feminine nominative singular weak)
faste (feminine nominative singular weak)
faston (feminine nominative plural weak)
fastun (feminine nominative plural weak)
fastan (feminine nominative plural weak)
fasta (neuter nominative singular weak)
faste (neuter nominative singular weak)
faston (neuter nominative plural weak)
fastun (neuter nominative plural weak)
faston (accusative masculine singular weak)
fastan (accusative masculine singular weak)
faston (accusative masculine plural weak)
fastun (accusative masculine plural weak)
fastun (accusative feminine singular weak)
faston (accusative feminine singular weak)
fastan (accusative feminine singular weak)
faston (accusative feminine plural weak)
fastun (accusative feminine plural weak)
fastan (accusative feminine plural weak)
fasta (accusative neuter singular weak)
faste (accusative neuter singular weak)
faston (accusative neuter plural weak)
fastun (accusative neuter plural weak)
fasten (genitive masculine singular weak)
fastan (genitive masculine singular weak)
fastono (genitive masculine plural weak)
fasteno (genitive masculine plural weak)
fastun (feminine genitive singular weak)
fastan (feminine genitive singular weak)
fasten (feminine genitive singular weak)
fastono (feminine genitive plural weak)
fasten (genitive neuter singular weak)
fastan (genitive neuter singular weak)
fastono (genitive neuter plural weak)
fasteno (genitive neuter plural weak)
faston (dative masculine singular weak)
fasten (dative masculine singular weak)
fastan (dative masculine singular weak)
faston (dative masculine plural weak)
fastun (dative masculine plural weak)
fastun (dative feminine singular weak)
fastan (dative feminine singular weak)
faston (dative feminine plural weak)
fastun (dative feminine plural weak)
faston (dative neuter singular weak)
fasten (dative neuter singular weak)
fastan (dative neuter singular weak)
faston (dative neuter plural weak)
fastun (dative neuter plural weak)

From Proto-West Germanic *fastī, from Proto-Germanic *fastuz; see it for cognates and further etymology.


fast

fast (masculine nominative singular)
fastu (feminine nominative singular)
fast (neuter nominative singular)
fastanā (accusative masculine singular)
fastā (accusative feminine singular)
fast (accusative neuter singular)
fastas (genitive masculine singular)
fasteʀā (feminine genitive singular)
fastas (genitive neuter singular)
fastumē (dative masculine singular)
fasteʀē (dative feminine singular)
fastumē (dative neuter singular)
fastu (instrumental masculine singular)
fasteʀu (feminine instrumental singular)
fastu (instrumental neuter singular)
fastē (masculine nominative plural)
fastō (feminine nominative plural)
fastu (neuter nominative plural)
fastā (accusative masculine plural)
fastā (accusative feminine plural)
fastu (accusative neuter plural)
fasteʀō (genitive masculine plural)
fasteʀō (feminine genitive plural)
fasteʀō (genitive neuter plural)
fastēm (dative masculine plural)
fastum (dative masculine plural)
fastēm (dative feminine plural)
fastum (dative feminine plural)
fastēm (dative neuter plural)
fastum (dative neuter plural)
fastēm (instrumental masculine plural)
fastum (instrumental masculine plural)
fastēm (feminine instrumental plural)
fastum (feminine instrumental plural)
fastēm (instrumental neuter plural)
fastum (instrumental neuter plural)

Old English: fæst

Middle English: fæst, fest, fast

Scots: fest, fast

English: fast

Old Frisian: fest

Saterland Frisian: fääst

West Frisian: fêst

Old Saxon: fast

Middle Low German: fast, vast

Low German: fast

Old Dutch: fast

Middle Dutch: vast

Dutch: vast

Afrikaans: vas

Old High German: fast

Middle High German: fast, vast

Central Franconian: fass, fast

From Proto-Germanic *fastuz (“secure, firm, fixed”).


fast

fast (accusative indefinite nominative)
fastul (accusative definite nominative)
fast (indefinite)
fastului (definite)
fastule (vocative)


fast

Alternative form of fastaidh (“hire, employ”)

head

fast (past dh'fhast, future fastaidh, verbal noun fastadh)

dh'fhast (past)
fastaidh (future)
fastadh (noun-from-verb)


fast

Bankrånaren är nu fast.

The bank robber has now been caught (by the police).

caught (unable to move freely), captured

Ge mig en fast punkt, och jag skall flytta världen.

Give me one fixed spot, and I'll move the world.

Den är för vattnig. Jag önskar att den hade en fastare konsistens.

It's too watery. I wish it had a firmer consistency.

fasta tillståndets fysik

Det gick bra, fast de inte hade övat i förväg.

It went well, although they hadn't practiced in advance.

fast (indefinite positive)
fastare (comparative indefinite)
fastast (indefinite superlative)
fast (indefinite neuter positive singular)
fastare (comparative indefinite neuter singular)
fastast (indefinite neuter singular superlative)
fasta (indefinite plural positive)
fastare (comparative indefinite plural)
fastast (indefinite plural superlative)
faste (archaic indefinite masculine plural positive)
fastare (archaic comparative indefinite masculine plural)
fastast (archaic indefinite masculine plural superlative)
faste (definite masculine positive singular)
fastare (comparative definite masculine singular)
fastaste (definite masculine singular superlative)
fasta (definite positive)
fastare (comparative definite)
fastaste (definite superlative)

From Old Swedish faster, from Old Norse fastr, from Proto-Germanic *fastuz; see it for cognates and further etymology.


fast

att sitta fast

att sätta fast

fixed, firmly, steadily (synonymous to the adjective)

och hade bedrifvit underslef af fast otrolig omfattning

and had committed embezzlement of an almost unbelievable extent.


fast

Farsan löper också bra, fast inte lika fort.

Dad also runs well, although not as fast.