Speed or momentum gained in advance; a head start in velocity or progress.
From 'fore-' + 'speed' (Old English 'spēd,' originally meaning success/prosperity, then rapid motion). The compound suggests momentum or advantage gained before a main effort begins.
In physics and mechanics, forespeed is real—objects given initial velocity travel farther. Medieval archers understood forespeed when they aimed upward first to build momentum before drawing.
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