swift
swift / swift/ • adj. 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.• adv. poetic/lit.except in combination swiftly: streams that ran swift and clear a swift-acting poison.• n. 1. a 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, including the common Eurasian swift (Apus apus). 2. (also swift moth) a moth, typically yellow-brown in color, 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. 3. a light, adjustable reel for holding a skein of silk or wool.DERIVATIVES: swift·ly adv.swift·ness n.
