swift

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See also: SWIFT and Swift

English

English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

Etymology

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.

Pronunciation

Adjective

swift (comparative swifter, superlative swiftest)

  1. Fast; quick; rapid.
    • 2011 November 12, “International friendly: England 1-0 Spain”, in BBC Sport‎:
      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.

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Noun

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, pages 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.

Derived terms

Translations

swift moth — see swift moth

Adverb

swift (comparative more swift, superlative most swift)

  1. (obsolete, poetic) Swiftly.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Old English

Etymology

From the verb swīfan.

Pronunciation

Adjective

swift (comparative swiftra, superlative swiftost)

  1. swift, quick

Declension

Declension of swift — Strong
Singular Masculine Feminine Neuter
Nominative swift swift swift
Accusative swiftne swifte swift
Genitive swiftes swiftre swiftes
Dative swiftum swiftre swiftum
Instrumental swifte swiftre swifte
Plural Masculine Feminine Neuter
Nominative swifte swifta, swifte swift
Accusative swifte swifta, swifte swift
Genitive swiftra swiftra swiftra
Dative swiftum swiftum swiftum
Instrumental swiftum swiftum swiftum
Declension of swift — Weak
Singular Masculine Feminine Neuter
Nominative swifta swifte swifte
Accusative swiftan swiftan swifte
Genitive swiftan swiftan swiftan
Dative swiftan swiftan swiftan
Instrumental swiftan swiftan swiftan
Plural Masculine Feminine Neuter
Nominative swiftan swiftan swiftan
Accusative swiftan swiftan swiftan
Genitive swiftra, swiftena swiftra, swiftena swiftra, swiftena
Dative swiftum swiftum swiftum
Instrumental swiftum swiftum swiftum

Derived terms

Descendants

  • English: swift
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