four-speed en · NOUN
Etymology
The sense specific to a manual transmission came from an era when manual transmissions in passenger cars were usually four-speeds but automatics were usually three-speeds or two-speeds.
Meanings
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(attributive, of a transmission, uncountable) Having four forward speeds.
Power is derived from a British United Traction Limited "A"-type 150-h.p. six-cylinder horizontal diesel engine; this drives through a fluid flywheel, and thence through a free wheel unit to a four-speed epicyclic gearbox.
1958 April 14, “Diesel Railbus for British Railways”, in Railway Magazine, page 275:My car has a four-speed transmission. It is not as efficient as my daughter's five-speed.
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(countable, uncountable) A transmission that has four forward speeds (it might or might not be a manual transmission); (metonymic) a vehicle with such a transmission.
four-speed automatic
four-speed manual
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(countable, historical, informal, specifically, uncountable) A transmission that has four forward speeds (it might or might not be a manual transmission); (metonymic) a vehicle with such a transmission. ▸ A manual transmission with four forward speeds; (metonymic) a vehicle with such a transmission.
A: Was your dad's Mustang a four-speed? B: No, it was an automatic.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| four speed | alternative | lexicographic | |
| four-speeds | Number=Plur | lexicographic |