swift

 
Pronunciation: /swɪft/

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

literary except in combination
  • 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.

Derivatives

swiftly

adverb

swiftness

noun

Origin:

Old English (as an adjective), from the Germanic base of Old English swīfan 'move in a course, sweep'. The bird name dates from the mid 17th century