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http://www.spellingbee.com/archive.htmcareer
Definition: to go at top speed especially in a headlong manner
Example sentence: "He darted onward—straight, headlong—dashing through brier and brake, and
leaping gate and fence as madly as his dog, who careered with loud and sounding bark before him."
(Charles Dickens, Oliver Twist)
Did you know?
In the days when mounted knights participated in jousting matches, one popular contest
required a horseman to ride around closely placed barriers and insert his lance through
small metal rings. The activity necessitated short gallops at full speed and a lot of turning.
By the late 1500s, English speakers were referring to such short all-out gallops with the
noun career (from Middle French carriere) and we were using the verb career to mean "to
gallop for a short burst at full speed." By the mid-17th century, the verb had been
extended to the now familiar sense of "to move at top speed." The implicit headlong or
reckless manner in this speed is perhaps a legacy of the contortions and twistings of the
jousting steed.
