This is the 6596th most frequent Dutch word.
vitesse
"Vitesse" in Dutch means "speed" or "velocity" in English.
In this sentence, 'vitesse' means 'speed' and refers to the velocity at which the car was traveling.
De auto reed met een hoge vitesse over de snelweg.
The car drove at a high speed on the highway.
Here, 'vitesse' refers to 'gear' in the context of vehicle mechanisms.
Hij schakelde naar een lagere vitesse om de heuvel te beklimmen.
He shifted to a lower gear to climb the hill.
In this context, 'vitesse' once again denotes 'speed,' pointing out the cyclist's pace.