Dictionary
Find
in
Dictionary
Thesaurus
Translations

Click to move up the list of words
swim bladder
swim platform
swimmer’s itch
swimmeret
swimmers
swimming
swimming costume
swimming pool
swimming trunks
swimmingly
swimsuit
swimwear
swindle
swine
swine fever
swine vesicular disease
swineherd
Click to move down the list of words
Print Preview
See pronunciation key
Search for "swift" in all of MSN Encarta
E-mail this entry
Blog about this entry on MSN Spaces
Download the MSN Encarta Right-Click Dictionary

swift

swift [ swift ]


adjective  (comparative swift·er, superlative swift·est)
Definition:
 
1. happening fast: happening or done very quickly or suddenly
issued a swift denial

2. acting fast: acting very quickly or promptly
They were swift to respond.

3. moving fast: moving or able to move very quickly



adverb 
Definition:
 
quickly: very quickly
a swift-flowing river



noun  (plural swifts)
Definition:
 
1.  (plural swift or swifts) birds small bird resembling swallow: a small dark bird with long narrow wings, related to the hummingbirds and resembling a swallow. Family Apodidae.

2. reptiles small fast lizard: a small fast-running lizard. Native to: North America.  Genera Sceloporus, Uta.

3. textiles reel on machine: the reel on which yarn is placed while it is wound off

[ Old English, "quick, moving along a course" < Germanic, "swing, bend"]

swift·ly adverb
swift·ness noun
Also on Encarta
Englishtown: Learn English online
Our Partners
Also on MSN
Encarta Message Boards (© Rubberball/Jupiterimages)
MSN Shopping
Upgrade your Encarta experience
Encarta RSS Feeds
© 2008 Microsoft