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y 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.

A rope used to retain the bars of the capstan in their sockets while men are turning it.

Nimble; fleet. Mir. for Mag.

Any one of numerous species of small East Indian and Asiatic swifts of the genus Collocalia. Some of the species are noted for furnishing the edible bird's nest. See Illust. under Edible.

In a swift manner; with quick motion or velocity; fleetly. Wyclif.

The quality or state of being swift; speed; quickness; celerity; velocity; rapidity; as, the swiftness of a bird; the swiftness of a stream; swiftness of descent in a falling body; swiftness of thought, etc.

A book in which accounts are kept. Swift.

An acquaintance. [R.] Swift.

Fitted; suited. [Obs.] Swift.

ders to address the senate Addison. The representatives of the nation addressed the king. Swift.

ender; an offer; -- usually in the plural. [He] made the like advances to the dissenters. Swift.

with any other country. Prescott. You see . . . of what use a good reputation is, and how swift and advantageous a harbinger it is, wherever one goes. Chesterfield.

ion; debate. A logical agitation of the matter. L'Estrange. The project now in agitation. Swift.

Pertaining to, or like, an alderman. "An aldermanly discretion." Swift.

aves; by which, and succeeding alterations, that council degenerated into a most corrupt. Swift.

Height of rank or excellence; superiority. Swift.

Shapelessness. [Obs.] Swift.

Anhilated. [Archaic] Swift.

in some sense almost annuals; . . . and I myself can remember about forty different sets. Swift.

In an anonymous manner; without a name. Swift.