fast forward

UK: /ˈfɑːstˈfɔːwəd/ US: (fast′fôr′wərd, fäst′-)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

fast′ for′ward, 

1. Sound Reproduction a function of an electronic recording device, as a tape recorder or cassette deck, that allows the tape to be advanced rapidly.
2. Sound Reproduction the button or switch that activates this function.

fast-for•ward  (fast′fôr′wərd, fäst′-), v.i. 

1. Sound Reproduction (on a recording device or projector) to advance a tape or film rapidly, using the fast forward.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

fast-forward noun

1. (sometimes not hyphenated) the control on a tape deck or video recorder used to wind the tape or video forward at speed
2. a state of urgency or rapid progress: my mind went into fast forward

verb

1. (transitive) to wind (a video or tape) forward using the fast-forward control
2. to deal with speedily: fast-forward the trials of the new drug
3. (intransitive) to move forward through a tape or video using the fast-forward control
4. (usually followed by to) to direct one's attention towards a particular time or event, ignoring intervening material: fast-forward to the following year

Etymology: 20th Century: from the fast-forward wind control in a tape deck