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swift

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also: SWIFT and Swift

English

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English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

Etymology

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    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

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    Adjective

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    swift (comparative swifter, superlative swiftest)

    1. Fast; quick; rapid.
      swift action
      swift response
      swift recovery
      The river’s swift current carried the boat downstream.
      She gave a swift reply to his question.
      • 2011 November 12, Phil McNulty, “International friendly: England 1-0 Spain”, in BBC Sport‎[1], archived from the original on 25 June 2021:
        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.
      • 2025 February 12, Kaitlan Collins, Kevin Liptak, “After Putin call, Trump says negotiations to end Ukraine war will start ‘immediately’”, in CNN‎[2], archived from the original on 15 April 2025:
        The call, which is the first known conversation between the presidents since Trump assumed office last month, came as as[sic] Trump makes clear to his advisers he wants to bring the Ukraine conflict to a swift end.
    2. Capable of moving at high speeds.
    3. (informal) Quick-thinking; bright.
      • 2011, Paul A. Lavallee, Firewatch, page 44:
        That's what limos do — advertise, and he should have known that. But, as I told you before, officer, he's not too swift.

    Derived terms

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    Translations

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    Adverb

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    swift (comparative more swift, superlative most swift)

    1. (obsolete or poetic) Swiftly.

    Synonyms

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    Noun

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    English Wikipedia has an article on:
    Wikipedia
    English Wikipedia has an article on:
    Wikipedia
    BERJAYA
    Common swift (Apus apus)

    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.
      Synonyms: 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.
      • 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.
    4. (entomology) Any of various fast-flying hesperiid butterflies.
    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

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    Translations

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    Old English

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    Etymology

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      From the verb swīfan.

      Pronunciation

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      Adjective

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      swift (comparative swiftra, superlative swiftost)

      1. swift, quick
        • Exeter Book, Riddle 40
          mē is snæġl swiftra, snelra reġnwyrm
          ond fenȳċe fōre hreþre
          A snail is swifter than me, a earthworm faster,
          and a tortoise moves quicker

      Declension

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      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

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      Descendants

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      • English: swift
      Retrieved from "https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=swift&oldid=91087947"