swift

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swift

(swĭft)

adj. swift·er, swift·est

1. Moving or capable of moving with great speed; fast. See Synonyms at fast¹.

2. Coming, occurring, or accomplished quickly: a swift retort.

3. Quick to act or react: swift to take revenge.

adv.

Swiftly. Often used in combination: swift-running.

a. A cylinder on a carding machine.

b. A reel used to hold yarn as it is being wound off.

2. Any of various small dark insect-eating birds of the family Apodidae, having long pointed wings and a short forked tail, and noted for their swift flight.

3. Any of various small, fast-moving North American lizards, especially of the genus Sceloporus.

[Middle English, from Old English.]

swift′ly adv.

swift′ness n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

swift

(swɪft)

adj

1. moving or able to move quickly; fast

2. occurring or performed quickly or suddenly; instant: a swift response.

3. (foll by: to) prompt to act or respond: swift to take revenge.

adv

a. swiftly or quickly

b. (in combination): swift-moving.

4. (Animals) any bird of the families Apodidae and Hemiprocnidae, such as Apus apus (common swift) of the Old World: order Apodiformes. They have long narrow wings and spend most of the time on the wing

5. (Breeds) (sometimes capital) a variety of domestic fancy pigeon originating in Egypt and Syria and having an appearance somewhat similar to a swift

6. (Animals) short for swift moth

7. (Animals) any of certain North American lizards of the genera Sceloporus and Uta that can run very rapidly: family Iguanidae (iguanas)

8. (Textiles) the main cylinder in a carding machine

9. (Textiles) an expanding circular frame used to hold skeins of silk, wool, etc

[Old English, from swīfan to turn; related to Old Norse svifa to rove, Old Frisian swīvia to waver, Old High German sweib a reversal; see swivel]

ˈswiftly adv

ˈswiftness n

Swift

(swɪft)

1. (Biography) Graham Colin. born 1949, English writer: his novels include Waterland (1983), Last Orders (1996), which won the Booker prize, and The Light of Day (2002)

2. (Biography) Jonathan. 1667–1745, Anglo-Irish satirist and churchman, who became dean of St Patrick's, Dublin, in 1713. His works include A Tale of a Tub (1704) and Gulliver's Travels (1726)

ˈSwiftian adj

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

swift

(swɪft)

adj. -er, -est,
adv., n. adj.

1. moving or capable of moving with great speed or velocity: a swift boat.

2. coming, happening, or performed quickly or without delay: a swift decision.

3. quick to act or respond.

4. Slang. smart; clever.

adv.

5. in a swift manner.

6. any of numerous long-winged, swallowlike birds of the family Apodidae, related to the hummingbirds and noted for their rapid flight.

7. any of several lizards, esp. of the genus Sceloporus.

8. any of various devices to hold a hank of yarn for winding off into skeins.

[before 900; Old English (adj.); akin to Old English swīfan to revolve, Old Norse svīfa to rove; compare swivel]

swift′ly, adv.

swift′ness, n.

syn: See quick.

Swift

(swɪft)

n.

Jonathan ( “Isaac Bickerstaff” ), 1667–1745, English satirist and clergyman, born in Ireland.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Noun	1.	Swift - United States meat-packer who began the use of refrigerated railroad cars (1839-1903) Gustavus Franklin Swift
	2.	Swift - an English satirist born in Ireland (1667-1745) Dean Swift, Jonathan Swift
	3.	swift - a small bird that resembles a swallow and is noted for its rapid flight apodiform bird - nonpasserine bird having long wings and weak feet; spends much of its time in flight Apodidae, family Apodidae - swifts; in former classifications included in the order Coraciiformes Apus apus, European swift - common European bird with a shrieking call that nests chiefly about eaves of buildings or on cliffs Chateura pelagica, chimney swallow, chimney swift - American swift that nests in e.g. unused chimneys Collocalia inexpectata, swiftlet - swift of eastern Asia; produces the edible bird's nest
	4.	swift - common western lizard; seen on logs or rocks blue-belly, Sceloporus occidentalis, western fence lizard fence lizard - spiny lizard often seen basking on fences in the United States and northern Mexico
Adj.	1.	swift - moving very fast; "fleet of foot"; "the fleet scurrying of squirrels"; "a swift current"; "swift flight of an arrow"; "a swift runner" fleet fast - acting or moving or capable of acting or moving quickly; "fast film"; "on the fast track in school"; "set a fast pace"; "a fast car"

swift

adjective

1. quick, immediate, prompt, rapid, instant, abrupt, ready, expeditious We need to make a swift decision.

2. fast, quick, rapid, flying, express, winged, sudden, fleet, hurried, speedy, spanking, nimble, quickie (informal), nippy (Brit. informal), fleet-footed, pdq (slang) a swift runner
fast slow, sluggish, plodding, lingering, ponderous, unhurried, tardy, lead-footed, tortoise-like

swift

² noun

Related words
collective noun flock

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

swift

adjective

1. Characterized by great celerity:

breakneck, expeditious, fast, fleet, quick, rapid, speedy.

Informal: hell-for-leather.

Idiom: quick as a bunny.

2. Accomplished in very little time:

brief, expeditious, fast, flying, hasty, hurried, quick, rapid, short, speedy.

Translations

سَريع، رَشيقسَمامَه: طائِر يُشْبِه السُّنونو

rorýsrychlý

hurtighurtig-mursejler

schnell Segler zügig Mauersegler

rápido veloz vencejo

nopeasukkelatervapääskyvikkelävinha

rapide

gyorssebes

snöggur, fljótursvölungur

rondone pronto rapidosalamandra acquaiolasvelto

čiurlys

ātrsstraujšsvīre

snar i vendingen tårnseiler

jerzyk

gaivão

стриж быстрый

dažďovník

hiter

tornseglare

çabukdağ kırlangıcıhızlı

迅速的雨燕

swift

[swɪft]

A. ADJ (swifter (compar) (swiftest (superl))) [runner, animal, vehicle, current] → rápido, veloz; [reaction] → pronto, rápido; [decision, response, journey, victory] → rápido; [river] → de corriente rápida
we must be swift to act → tenemos que obrar con prontitud
to wish sb a swift recovery → desear a algn una pronta mejoría
swift of foot → de pies ligeros
to be swift to anger → ser propenso a enfadarse

B. N (= bird) → vencejo m

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

swift

[ˈswɪft]

n (= bird) → martinet m

adj

(= prompt) [response, action, decision] → rapide
to be swift to do sth → être prompt(e) à faire qch

[runner, movement] → rapide

swift

adj (+er) → schnell; movement, steps also → flink; reaction, reply also, revenge → prompt; runner also → flink, flott; pace → flott, rasch; to take swift action → schnell handeln; swift of foot (liter) → schnellfüßig; to be swift to anger → jähzornig sein; to be swift to do something → etw schnell tun

n (= bird) → Mauersegler m

swift

swift-flowing

adj → schnell fließend

swift-footed

adj (liter) → schnellfüßig

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

swift

[swɪft]

1. adj (-er (comp) (-est (superl))) (movement) → rapido/a, repentino/a; (runner) → veloce; (reply, reaction) → pronto/a

2. n (bird) → rondone m

swift¹

(swift) adjective

fast or quick. a swift horse; Our methods are swift and efficient; a swift-footed animal.

ˈswiftly adverb

ˈswiftness noun

swift²

(swift) noun

a type of bird rather like a swallow.

swift

a. ligero-a; fácil, sin complicación;

a ___ operation → una operación fácil, sin complicaciones.

References in classic literature ?

Yet when we read the sad story of the life of Jonathan Swift who has in Gulliver's Travels given to countless children, and grown- up people too, countless hours of pleasure, we are forced to believe that so he passed a great part of his life.

In the life of Jonathan Swift there are things which puzzle even the wisest.

View in context

JONATHAN SWIFT. Jonathan Swift, another unique figure of very mixed traits, is like Defoe in that he connects the reign of William III with that of his successors and that, in accordance with the spirit of his age, he wrote for the most part not for literary but for practical purposes; in many other respects the two are widely different.

In 1704 Swift published his first important works (written earlier, while he was living with Temple), which are among the masterpieces of his satirical genius.

View in context

Swift, as has been said, was an inventor, as was his father.

Those who wish to read of the earliest activities of Tom in the inventive line are referred to the initial volume, "Tom Swift and His Motor Cycle." From then on he and his father had many and exciting adventures.

View in context

Aunt Elizabeth Swift, a grey competent- looking widow with money in the Winesburg Na- tional Bank, lived there with her daughter Kate Swift, a school teacher.

View in context

"They are bad sailors," said Jip; "and their ship is very swift. They are surely the pirates of Barbary."

View in context

Their armour shone like a flame of blazing fire as they two stood in their car: their swift horses struck the earth and pawed it with their hoofs, and the dust rose like smoke about them, pounded by the chariot wheels and the horses' hoofs, while the well-made chariot and its rails rattled around them as the horses plunged.

View in context

Neither squeals of hogs nor tears of visitors made any difference to them; one by one they hooked up the hogs, and one by one with a swift stroke they slit their throats.

View in context

What to you the friendship of Lop-Ear, the warm lure of the Swift One, the lust and the atavism of Red-Eye?

View in context

On swift second thought, he sat down again, pressed the electric button, and, while waiting for the club steward, reread the headline and the brief five lines.

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