light speed

or light·speed

[ lahyt speed ]

noun

1. Physics, Optics. speed of light ( def 1 ).
2. an extremely fast rate:

   The rumor circulated at light speed around the town.

adjective

1. very fast:

   Her best time in the race is a lightspeed 8.7 seconds.

Word History and Origins

Origin of light speed¹

First recorded in 1855–60

Example Sentences

But at light speed, with a mass audience and a permanent record.

From Los Angeles Times

Quakes rupture on a fault at the speed of sound through rock, which is slower than the light speed of today’s telecommunications systems.

From Los Angeles Times

“Things have happened at light speed compared to what my forecast was,” founder and CEO Jenny Nguyen told The Associated Press.

From Seattle Times

Munoz said he got the program up and running two months after President Barack Obama announced it — “light speed for a federal agency.”

From Seattle Times

Neutrinos, which are nearly massless and almost undetectable, come in three types and can morph from one to another as they zip along at light speed.

From Science Magazine