WordGarden.ioaccelerator
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /əksˈɛlərˌeɪtə/
US
- /ækˈsɛlərˌeɪtər/
Meanings
Noun
the pedal in a vehicle that makes it go faster
a program that helps startups grow quickly
a hardware or software component that speeds up computing tasks
More meaningsFewer meanings
a scientific device or substance that speeds a physical or chemical process
Beyond the definition
An accelerator isn't just for cars. In everyday speech, it's anything that makes something happen faster. In a vehicle, the accelerator is the pedal you press to increase speed. But you’ll also hear the word in places where “speeding up” is more metaphorical: a startup accelerator is designed to accelerate the growth of new companies by providing resources, mentorship, and connections.
The word comes from "accelerate," meaning to increase speed. But an accelerator is about more than just physical velocity. A good teacher might be an accelerator for your learning, while a challenging situation could be an accelerator for personal growth. In physics, particle accelerators smash particles together at incredible speeds to unlock the secrets of the universe!
An accelerator is anything that increases the rate or speed of a process, action, or development. While often associated with vehicles – like the gas pedal being the car's accelerator – its meaning extends far beyond transportation.
In business and technology, an accelerator program provides support (funding, mentorship, networking) to help startups grow quickly. These programs aim to accelerate innovation and bring new products to market faster. For example: "Y Combinator is a well-known startup accelerator."
In science, a particle accelerator is a machine that uses electromagnetic fields to propel charged particles to very high speeds, allowing scientists to study the fundamental building blocks of matter by colliding those particles.
In engineering and industry, an accelerator can also be a substance added to make a process happen faster—for example, an additive that makes concrete set more quickly, or a chemical that speeds up a reaction in manufacturing (in chemistry, this role is often described more precisely as a catalyst).
In computing, an accelerator is specialized hardware that “accelerates” certain kinds of work—like a graphics accelerator for rendering images or an AI accelerator for running machine-learning models.
Figuratively, an accelerator can be anything that boosts progress or intensifies change. "The pandemic acted as an accelerator for digital transformation," meaning it sped up the adoption of online technologies. A positive role model could be an accelerator in a young person's development, encouraging them to reach their full potential.
So whether you're talking about cars, startups, science, or personal growth, an accelerator is anything that pushes things forward with increased speed and intensity. It's the force that helps something move from slow to fast, from potential to reality.
Examples
- 1
Driving
She pressed the accelerator and pulled into traffic.
- 2
Figurative slowdown
After the first success, the team took its foot off the accelerator for a while.
- Phrasetake your foot off the accelerator
stop pushing so hard or moving so fast
- 3
Economic growth
Cheap loans can act as an accelerator for economic growth.
- 4
Startup program
Their app got its first investors after joining a startup accelerator.
- Domainstartup accelerator
a program that helps new companies grow quickly
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Physics equipment
Scientists used a particle accelerator to study how the atoms behaved.
- Domainparticle accelerator
a machine that moves very small particles at very high speed
See also
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Shades of meaning
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Used with (collocations)
- growth accelerator
- startup accelerator
Word family
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Forms and spellings
2 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- acceleratornoun
Forms
- acceleratorspluralnoun