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   swift

   /swɪft/

   adjective

   • 1. happening quickly or promptly: "a remarkably swift recovery" Similar promptrapidsuddenimmediateinstantinstantaneouswithout delayreadypunctualabruptunhesitatinghastyhurriedprecipitateheadlonginformal:p.d.q. (pretty damn quick)rapidquickbrisklivelyspeedyfasthigh-speedexpeditiousexpressbreakneckmeteoricwhirlwindinformal:spankingnippyOpposite unhurriedslowleisurely
   • ▪ moving or capable of moving at high speed: "the water was very swift" Similar fastrapidquickspeedyfleet-footedfleetswift as an arrowlike the windlike lightningliterary:wingedflyinginformal:nippysupersonicOpposite slowsluggish

   adverb

   • 1. swiftly: literary "streams that ran swift and clear"

   noun

   • 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.
   • 2. a moth, typically yellow-brown in colour, 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.
   • 3. a light, adjustable reel for holding a skein of silk or wool.

   Word Origin Old English (as an adjective), from the Germanic base of Old English swīfan ‘move in a course, sweep’. The bird name dates from the mid 17th century.

   Scrabble Points: 11

   • S

     1

   • W

     4

   • I

     1

   • F

     4

   • T

     1

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