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swift - What does it mean?

Definition of 'swift'

English

Adjective

(er)
  • fast; quick; rapid.
  • * {{quote-news
    • |year=2011 |date=November 12 |author= |title=International friendly: England 1-0 Spain |work=BBC Sport citation |page= |passage=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.}}
  • Capable of moving at high speeds.

    • Noun

    (en-noun)
  • (obsolete) The current of a stream.
  • A small plain-colored bird of the family Apodidae that resembles a swallow and is noted for its rapid flight. Other common names for the birds of this family include swiftlet, needletail and spinetail.
  • Some lizards of the genus .
  • A moth of the family , (swift moth), ghost moth.
  • * {{quote-magazine|year=2013|month=May-June|author= William E. Conner
    • |title= An Acoustic Arms Race |volume=101|issue=3|page=206-7|magazine=(American Scientist) |passage=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.}}

    Synonyms

    * (lizard) (fence lizard), (spiny lizard)

    Derived terms

    * (steam) swiftwater, * (bird) (common swift) () * (lizard) (fence swift) ()

    Derived terms

    * swiftly

    See also

    * (black martin) * (black swift) * (hawk swallow) * devil bird * devil screecher * (swingdevil) * (screech martin) * shriek owl * (chimney swallow) * (palm swift) * (tree swift) * (pine lizard)

    Adverb

    (en-adv)
  • (obsolete|poetic) Swiftly.
  • * 1602 , , II. iii. 263:
    • Light boats sail swift , though greater hulks draw deep.
  • * 1793 ,
    • Ply swift and strong the oar.

    Synonyms

    * (l) ----

    Similar to 'swift'

    spit, spat, swept, sept, spout, spot, soft, soffit, shift, soviet, sabot, shaft, sift, sabbat, sippet, spet, skift, speet, shipot, swivet, squbit, shapt, sqft, sipt, skipt, sawpit, sput, shuvit