swift

adjective

• happening quickly or promptly:a remarkably swift recovery
• moving or capable of moving at high speed:the water was very swift the swiftest horse in his stable

adverb

• swiftly:streams which ran swift and very clear a swift-acting poison

noun

• 1a swift-flying insectivorous bird with long, slender wings and a superficial resemblance to a swallow, spending most of its life on the wing.

  • Family Apodidae: several genera and numerous species, in particular the common Eurasian swift (Apus apus)

• 2 (also swift moth) a moth, typically yellow-brown in colour, with fast darting flight. The eggs are scattered in flight and the larvae live underground feeding on roots, where they can be a serious pest.

  • Family Hepialidae: Hepialus and other genera

• 3a light, adjustable reel for holding a skein of silk or wool.