Hypertext Webster Gateway: "swift"

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)

Swift \Swift\, adv.
Swiftly. [Obs. or Poetic] --Shak.

Ply swift and strong the oar. --Southey.

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)

Swift \Swift\, n.
1. The current of a stream. [R.] --Walton.

2. (Zo["o]l.) Any one of numerous species of small,
long-winged, insectivorous birds of the family
{Micropodid[ae]}. 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 ({Ch[ae]tura 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 ({Ch[ae]tura
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. (Zo["o]l.) Any one of several species of lizards, as the
pine lizard.

4. (Zo["o]l.) The ghost moth. See under {Ghost}.

5. [Cf. {Swivel}.] 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.

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)

Swift \Swift\, a. [Compar. {Swifter}; superl. {Swiftest}.] [AS.
swift; akin to sw[=a]pan to sweep, swipu a whip; cf.
sw[=i]fan 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.

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)

Pine \Pine\, n. [AS. p[=i]n, L. pinus.]
1. (Bot.) Any tree of the coniferous genus {Pinus}. See
{Pinus}.

Note: There are about twenty-eight species in the United
States, of which the {white pine} ({P. Strobus}), the
{Georgia pine} ({P. australis}), the {red pine} ({P.
resinosa}), and the great West Coast {sugar pine} ({P.
Lambertiana}) are among the most valuable. The {Scotch
pine} or {fir}, also called {Norway} or {Riga pine}
({Pinus sylvestris}), is the only British species. The
{nut pine} is any pine tree, or species of pine, which
bears large edible seeds. See {Pinon}. The spruces,
firs, larches, and true cedars, though formerly
considered pines, are now commonly assigned to other
genera.

2. The wood of the pine tree.

3. A pineapple.

{Ground pine}. (Bot.) See under {Ground}.

{Norfolk Island pine} (Bot.), a beautiful coniferous tree,
the {Araucaria excelsa}.

{Pine barren}, a tract of infertile land which is covered
with pines. [Southern U.S.]

{Pine borer} (Zo["o]l.), any beetle whose larv[ae] bore into
pine trees.

{Pine finch}. (Zo["o]l.) See {Pinefinch}, in the Vocabulary.


{Pine grosbeak} (Zo["o]l.), a large grosbeak ({Pinicola
enucleator}), which inhabits the northern parts of both
hemispheres. The adult male is more or less tinged with
red.

{Pine lizard} (Zo["o]l.), a small, very active, mottled gray
lizard ({Sceloporus undulatus}), native of the Middle
States; -- called also {swift}, {brown scorpion}, and
{alligator}.

{Pine marten}. (Zo["o]l.)
(a) A European weasel ({Mustela martes}), called also
{sweet marten}, and {yellow-breasted marten}.
(b) The American sable. See {Sable}.

{Pine moth} (Zo["o]l.), any one of several species of small
tortricid moths of the genus {Retinia}, whose larv[ae]
burrow in the ends of the branchlets of pine trees, often
doing great damage.

{Pine mouse} (Zo["o]l.), an American wild mouse ({Arvicola
pinetorum}), native of the Middle States. It lives in pine
forests.

{Pine needle} (Bot.), one of the slender needle-shaped leaves
of a pine tree. See {Pinus}.

{Pine-needle wool}. See {Pine wool} (below).

{Pine oil}, an oil resembling turpentine, obtained from fir
and pine trees, and used in making varnishes and colors.


{Pine snake} (Zo["o]l.), a large harmless North American
snake ({Pituophis melanoleucus}). It is whitish, covered
with brown blotches having black margins. Called also
{bull snake}. The Western pine snake ({P. Sayi}) is
chestnut-brown, mottled with black and orange.

{Pine tree} (Bot.), a tree of the genus {Pinus}; pine.

{Pine-tree money}, money coined in Massachusetts in the
seventeenth century, and so called from its bearing a
figure of a pine tree.

{Pine weevil} (Zo["o]l.), any one of numerous species of
weevils whose larv[ae] bore in the wood of pine trees.
Several species are known in both Europe and America,
belonging to the genera {Pissodes}, {Hylobius}, etc.

{Pine wool}, a fiber obtained from pine needles by steaming
them. It is prepared on a large scale in some of the
Southern United States, and has many uses in the economic
arts; -- called also {pine-needle wool}, and {pine-wood
wool}.

From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)

swift
adj : moving very fast; "fleet of foot"; "the fleet scurrying of
squirrels"; "a swift current"; "swift flight of an
arrow"; "a swift runner" [syn: {fleet}]
n 1: United States meat-packer who began the use of refrigerated
railroad cars (1839-1903) [syn: {Swift}, {Gustavus
Franklin Swift}]
2: an English satirist born in Ireland (1667-1745) [syn: {Swift},
{Jonathan Swift}, {Dean Swift}]
3: small plain-colored bird that resembles a swallow and is
noted for its rapid flight
4: common western lizard; seen on logs or rocks [syn: {western
fence lizard}, {blue-belly}, {Sceloporus occidentalis}]


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