SWIFT

fleet, swift

(adjective) moving very fast; “fleet of foot”; “the fleet scurrying of squirrels”; “a swift current”; “swift flight of an arrow”; “a swift runner”

swift

(noun) a small bird that resembles a swallow and is noted for its rapid flight

Swift, Jonathan Swift, Dean Swift

(noun) an English satirist born in Ireland (1667-1745)

Swift, Gustavus Franklin Swift

(noun) United States meat-packer who began the use of refrigerated railroad cars (1839-1903)

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Proper noun

SWIFT

(banking) Acronym of Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication.

Synonym: Swift

Acronym of Social Widget Information Filtering Technologies.

(UK) Acronym of South Wales Integrated Fast Transit.

(aviation) Acronym of Southwest Airlines Integrated Flights Tracking.

(US, Colorado) Acronym of Statewide Interlibrary loan Fast Track.

(US, Colorado) Acronym of State Wildland Inmate Fire Team.

(computing) Acronym of Simple Web Interface Toolset.

Noun

SWIFT

(mathematics) Acronym of Stored Waveform Inverse Fourier Transform.

(science, transportation) Acronym of Stratospheric Wind Interferometer For Transport Studies.

(business, risk analysis) Acronym of Structured What If Technique.

Proper noun

Swift

A surname, originally a nickname for a swift or quick person.

(computing) A general-purpose multi-paradigm compiled programming language introduced by Apple Inc. in 2014.

(finance) Alternative letter-case form of SWIFT (“Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication”)

Etymology

Adjective

swift (comparative swifter, superlative swiftest)

Fast; quick; rapid.

Capable of moving at high speeds.

Noun

swift (plural swifts)

A small plain-colored bird of the family Apodidae that resembles a swallow and is noted for its rapid flight.

Synonyms: needletail, spinetail, swiftlet

Any of certain lizards of the genus Sceloporus.

Synonym: fence lizard, spiny lizard

(entomology) A moth of the family Hepialidae, swift moth, ghost moth.

(entomology) Any of various fast-flying hesperiid butterflies.

A reel for winding yarn.

The main cylinder of a carding-machine.

(obsolete) The current of a stream.

Adverb

swift (comparative more swift, superlative most swift)

(obsolete, poetic) Swiftly.

Synonyms

• swith

Source: Wiktionary


Swift, a. [Compar. Swifter; superl. Swiftest.] Etym: [AS. swift; akin to swapan to sweep, swipu a whip; cf. swifan to move quickly, to revolve. See Swoop, v. i., and cf. Swivel, Squib.]

1. Moving a great distance in a short time; moving with celerity or velocity; fleet; rapid; quick; speedy; prompt. My beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath. James i. 19. Swift of dispatch and easy of access. Dryden. And bring upon themselves swift destruction. 2 Pet. ii. 1.

2. Of short continuance; passing away quickly. Shak.

Note: Swift is often used in the formation of compounds which are generally self-explaining; as, swift-darting, swift-footed, swift- winged, etc.

Syn.

– Quick; fleet; speedy; rapid; expeditious.

Swift, adv.

Definition: Swiftly. [Obs. or Poetic] Shak. Ply swift and strong the oar. Southey.

Swift, n.

1. The current of a stream. [R.] Walton.

2. (Zoöl.)

Definition: Any one of numerous species of small, long-winged, insectivorous birds of the family Micropodidæ. In form and habits the swifts resemble swallows, but they are destitute of complex vocal muscles and are not singing birds, but belong to a widely different group allied to the humming birds.

Note: The common European swift (Cypselus, or Micropus, apus) nests in church steeples and under the tiles of roofs, and is noted for its rapid flight and shrill screams. It is called also black martin, black swift, hawk swallow, devil bird, swingdevil, screech martin, and shreik owl. The common American, or chimney, swift (Chætura pelagica) has sharp rigid tips to the tail feathers. It attaches its nest to the inner walls of chimneys, and is called also chimney swallow. The Australian swift (Chætura caudacuta) also has sharp naked tips to the tail quills. The European Alpine swift (Cypselus melba) is whitish beneath, with a white band across the breast. The common Indian swift is Cypselus affinis. See also Palm swift, under Palm, and Tree swift, under Tree.

3. (Zoöl.)

Definition: Any one of several species of lizards, as the pine lizard.

4. (Zoöl.)

Definition: The ghost moth. See under Ghost.

5. Etym: [Cf. Swivel.]

Definition: A reel, or turning instrument, for winding yarn, thread, etc.;

– used chiefly in the plural.

6. The main card cylinder of a flax-carding machine.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



RESET




Word of the Day

29 April 2024

SUBDUCTION

(noun) a geological process in which one edge of a crustal plate is forced sideways and downward into the mantle below another plate


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Coffee Trivia

According to Guinness World Records, the largest coffee shop is the Al Masaa Café, which has 1,050 seats. The coffee shop was inaugurated in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on 13 August 2014.

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