cĕlĕrĭtas, ātis, f. [celer],
I swiftness , quickness , speed , celerity (in good prose; syn.: velocitas, pernicitas; opp. tarditas): velocitas corporis celeritas appellatur, quae eadem ingenii laus habetur, etc., Cic. Tusc. 4, 13, 31: celeritas et vis equorum, id. Div. 2, 70, 144; cf. equitum, Caes. B. G. 1, 48 fin. : navis, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 34, § 88: pedum, id. Ac. 1, 5, 19: in capiendis castris, Caes. B. G. 7, 46: veneni, the quick effect , Cic. Cael. 24, 60: incredibili celeritate de victoriā Caesaris fama perfertur, Caes. B. G. 5, 53: celeritati studere, id. B. C. 3, 79: Favonio Scipionis celeritas salutem attulit, id. ib. 3, 36 fin. : maximum bonum in celeritate putabat, Sall. C. 43, 4: celeritate uti, to employ speed , Nep. Ages. 2, 2; 4, 4.—In plur. absol. : cavendum est ne in festinationibus suscipiamus nimias celeritates, Cic. Off. 1, 36, 131.—
2 Of intellectual and abstract objects: animorum, Cic. Sen. 21, 78: inge nii, v. supra; cf.: calliditas et celeritas ingenii, quickness of device , Nep. Eum. 1, 3: cogitationis, Quint. 10, 3, 19: consilii, Nep. Ages. 6, 2: orationis, Cic. Or. 16, 53; Quint. 11, 3, 111: dicendi, Cic. Fl. 20, 48: syllabarum, id. Or. 57, 191; Quint. 9, 4, 91; 9, 4, 88; 9, 4, 140; 11, 3, 107.