swift

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   Happening or moving very quickly.

   The government promised swift action against the criminals.

2. 2
   adv

   In a quick way; swiftly.

   Light boats sail swift, even where larger ships move slowly.

3. 3
   noun

   A small fast-flying bird with long, narrow wings.

   Swifts darted through the evening sky catching insects.

Common collocations

• swift current Adjective + noun

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.

Topics

External links

• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary
• Google Images