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ghost moth

 - 5 dictionary results

swift

  [swift] adjective, -er, -est, adverb, noun
–adjective
1. moving or capable of moving with great speed or velocity; fleet; rapid: a swift ship.
2. coming, happening, or performed quickly or without delay: a swift decision.
3. quick or prompt to act or respond: swift to jump to conclusions.
4. Slang. quick to perceive or understand; smart; clever: You can't cheat him, he's too swift.
–adverb
5. swiftly.
–noun
6. any of numerous long-winged, swallowlike birds of the family Apodidae, related to the hummingbirds and noted for their rapid flight.
7. tree swift.
8. spiny lizard.
9. Also called swift moth, ghost moth. any of several brown or gray moths, the males of which are usually white, of the family Hepialidae, noted for rapid flight.
10. an adjustable device upon which a hank of yarn is placed in order to wind off skeins or balls.
11. the main cylinder on a machine for carding flax.
Origin:
bef. 900; ME (adj. and adv.), OE (adj.); akin to OE swīfan to revolve, ON svīfa to rove; see swivel

Related forms:
swiftly, adverb
swiftness, noun

Synonyms:
1. speedy. See quick. 2. expeditious.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Slang Dictionary
swift

  1. mod.
    smart and clever. : Excuse my brother. He's not too swift.
  2. mod.
    sexually fast or easy, usually said of a woman. : Britney is swift, they say, but I find her to be a perfect lady.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Word Origin & History

swift  (adj.)
O.E. swift "moving quickly," related to swifan "move in a course, sweep" (see swivel). The bird (several species of the family Cypselidæ, resembling swallows), noted for its "swift" flight, was so called from at least 1668. Regarded as a bird of ill-omen, if not downright demonic, probably for its shrill cry. The name earlier had been given to several small fast lizards (1530).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Encyclopedia

ghost moth

any of approximately 500 species of insects in the order Lepidoptera that are some of the largest moths, with wingspans of more than 22.5 cm (9 inches). Most European and North American species are brown or gray with silver spots on the wings, whereas the African, New Zealand, and Australian species are brightly coloured

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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