swifts

Noun

swift (plural swifts)

1. A small plain-colored bird of the family Apodidae that resembles a swallow and is noted for its rapid flight.

   Synonyms:

   needletail, spinetail, swiftlet

2. Any of certain lizards of the genus Sceloporus.
   • As a guide to start your collection we'd suggest either iguanas, tejus, swifts, basilisks, horned toads or alligator lizards.1965 March, Boys' Life, page 52

   Synonyms:

   fence lizard, spiny lizard

3. A moth of the family Hepialidae, swift moth, ghost moth.
   • Earless ghost swift moths become “invisible” to echolocating bats by forming mating clusters close (less than half a meter) above vegetation and effectively blending into the clutter of echoes that the bat receives from the leaves and stems around them.2013 May-June, William E. Conner, “An Acoustic Arms Race”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 3, pages 206–7
4. Any of various fast-flying hesperiid butterflies.
5. A light, collapsible reel used to hold a hank of yarn in order to wind off skeins or balls.
6. The main cylinder of a carding-machine.

See all 17 meanings of swift