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Added 9 October 2026

swift

/swɪft/ adjective

In Latin: celer, rapidus, celox Wiktionary

adjective Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about swift at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Fast; quick; rapid.
swift action
Capable of moving at high speeds.
Quick-thinking; bright.

adverb

Swiftly.

noun

A small plain-colored bird of the family Apodidae that resembles a swallow and is noted for its rapid flight.
Any of certain lizards of the genus Sceloporus.
A moth of the family Hepialidae, swift moth, ghost moth.

Origin

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.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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