swift

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

• IPA^(key): /swɪft/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Homophone: Swift
• Rhymes: -ɪft

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.

Noun

swift (plural swifts)

1. (obsolete) The current of a stream.
2. A small plain-colored bird of the family Apodidae that resembles a swallow and is noted for its rapid flight.
3. Some lizards of the genus Sceloporus.
4. A moth of the family Hepialidae, swift moth, ghost moth.
   • 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.

Adverb

swift (comparative more swift, superlative most swift)

1. (obsolete, poetic) Swiftly.
   • 1602, William Shakespeare, Troilus and Cressida, II. iii. 263:

     Light boats sail swift, though greater hulks draw deep.

   • 1793, Robert Southey, Lord William

     Ply swift and strong the oar.

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

Etymology

From the verb swīfan.

Adjective

swift

1. swift, quick