See also: SWIFT and Swift

EnglishEdit

 
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EtymologyEdit

From Middle English swift, from Old English swift (swift; quick), from Proto-Germanic *swiftaz (swift; quick), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)weyp- (to twist; wind around). Cognate with Icelandic svipta (to pull quickly), Old English swīfan (to revolve, sweep, wend, intervene). More at swivel.

PronunciationEdit

AdjectiveEdit

swift (comparative swifter, superlative swiftest)

  1. Fast; quick; rapid.
    • 2011 November 12, “International friendly: England 1-0 Spain”, in BBC Sport[1]:
      Spain were provoked into a response and Villa almost provided a swift equaliser when he rounded Hart but found the angle too acute and could only hit the side-netting.
  2. Capable of moving at high speeds.

TranslationsEdit

NounEdit

 
English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia
 
English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

swift (plural swifts)

  1. A small plain-colored bird of the family Apodidae that resembles a swallow and is noted for its rapid flight.
    Synonyms: needletail, spinetail, swiftlet
  2. Any of certain lizards of the genus Sceloporus.
    Synonym: fence lizard, spiny lizard
    • 1965 March, Boys' Life, page 52:
      As a guide to start your collection we'd suggest either iguanas, tejus, swifts, basilisks, horned toads or alligator lizards.
  3. (entomology) A moth of the family Hepialidae, swift moth, ghost moth.
  4. (entomology) Any of various fast-flying hesperiid butterflies.
    • 2013 May-June, William E. Conner, “An Acoustic Arms Race”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 3, page 206-7:
      Earless ghost swift moths become “invisible” to echolocating bats by forming mating clusters close (less than half a meter) above vegetation and effectively blending into the clutter of echoes that the bat receives from the leaves and stems around them.
  5. (textiles) A light, collapsible reel used to hold a hank of yarn in order to wind off skeins or balls.
  6. The main cylinder of a carding-machine.
  7. (obsolete) The current of a stream.

TranslationsEdit

AdverbEdit

swift (comparative more swift, superlative most swift)

  1. (obsolete, poetic) Swiftly.

SynonymsEdit

Derived termsEdit

Old EnglishEdit

EtymologyEdit

From the verb swīfan.

PronunciationEdit

AdjectiveEdit

swift (comparative swiftra, superlative swiftost)

  1. swift, quick

DeclensionEdit

Derived termsEdit

DescendantsEdit

  • English: swift