swevening 
Miiny moil Rayon that in XIIWVIII/IIJ/M 
Thar Ills but failles mid li- 
Rom. "/ " AVe, 1. 1. 
swich't, it. A Middle Knglish variant of .<</<. 
SWich'-'t, " An obsolete spelling D|' mi'itrli. 
SWidder iMvid'er). Same as mi-i/lii r } , MC///^/ ;; . 
Swietenia (swc-to'ni-ii), . [NL. (Linnaeus, 
niiJ), named after Qer&rd vim >'/>//// (1700- 
177U), an AiiHtrian pliysieian.] A genuK of 
polypetiilKiisplants. of tin- onlrr U< lim-nr, type 
of the tril)c Xii-ii'tfint .'I-. It in characterized by (low- 
ers with five petals, a ten-toothed uni-liap.'.l Ktaincn- 
tnhc, annular diak.imd numerous pendulous ovules, ripen 
inK Into hrnndly winded needs wltli Meshy albumen. There 
; species, natives of Central America, Mexico, and the 
Antilles. The chief of these, .S. Mahaynni, largo tree 
furnishing the mahogany of commerce, extends In a re- 
duced form (Ml feet high or under) to the Florid* keys. 
II bears smooth abruptly pinnate leaves composed of ob- 
liquely ovate tapering opposite leaflets. The small flowers 
aru boriM' in axillary anil suhternilnal panicles, and are 
followed by Hi . . . llr.l sept icidal capsules. Sue inahoyany. 
Swietenieaefsui tr in Y e),n.;i<. [NL. (Adrien 
do Jussieu, IHItl ), < Sirii-tcnia + -fee.] A tribe 
of poly petalous trees or rarely shrubs, of the or- 
der MeUuccie. It is characterized by stamens united 
Into a tube, ovary-cells with numerous ovules, and sep- 
ti frugal capsules with their three to live valvcit usually sep- 
arating from an axis with as many wings. The 5 genera 
are mostly tropical trees with pinnate leaves. See Stricte- 
niii, Soyinida, and cut under mahnyatiy. 
swift 1 (swift)j a. and . [< MK swift, mri/fl. < 
AS. swift, swift, fleet; prob. for "swipt, akin to 
Icel. uriiild, pull quickly, svipa, swoop, flash, 
wliip, MtpOM, shifty, svipliqr, swift : see swipe, 
swivel, etc. Cf. swift 2 ."} 1. a. 1 . Moving with 
groat speed, celerity, velocity, or rapidity; fleet; 
rapid; speedy. 
The same euynnynge ye wynde come well and fresshely 
in our way, wherwith we made right fast and ncijfte spede. 
Sir R. Uui/iforde, Pylgrymage, p. 73. 
The race is not to the ncift, nor the battle to the strong. 
Keel. Ix. 11. 
The 9w\ft and glad return of day. 
Bryant, Lapse of Time. 
2. Keady; prompt; quick. 
Let every man be svrift to hear, slow to speak, slow to 
wrath. J>. i. 1ft. 
Having so stnn and excellent a wit. 
Shale., Much Ado, 111. 1. 89. 
3. Of short continuance; swiftly or rapidly 
passing. 
My days are nc\fler than a weaver's shuttle. Job vll. 6. 
Make sw\ft the pangs 
nf my queen's travails ! 
Shale., Pericles, ill. 1. 13. 
Line or curve of swiftest descent. Same as brachifto- 
chrone. Swift garter-snake. See mote. 
II. w. 1. The swifter part of a stream; the 
current. [Rare.] 
He [the barbel] Is able to live In the strongest iwiflt of 
the water ; and in summer they love the shallowest and 
sharpest streams. /. Waltan, Complete Angler, p. 167. 
2. An adjustable machine upon which a skein 
of yarn, silk, or other thread is put, in order 
that it may be wound off. it consists of a cylinder 
of separate strips, arranged on the principle of the lazy- 
tongs, so that its diameter can be increased or decreased 
at pleasure ; the strips that form the cylinder are supported 
from a central shaft which revolves In a socket. 
Two horses were the stock to each [silk-]mill. Abovc- 
stairs the walls were lined on three sides with the reels, or, 
as the English manufacturers call them, twifti, which re- 
ceived the silk as it was devolved from certain bobbins. 
Godwin, Fleetwood (1805X *> 
In the centre sits Brown Moll, with bristling and grizzly 
hair, with her Inseparable pipe, winding yani from aneift. 
S. Judd, Margaret, I. 17. 
3. The main card-cylinder in a flax-carding 
machine. 4. A bird of the family Cypseltdse: 
so called from its rapidity of flight. The com- 
mon swift of Europe Is Cyptelta (or Micromu) apiut, with 
many local names, as Mack nc\ft, neattow, or martin, 
ncreech-innrlin, ghrifker or shriek-aid, itwiny-devU, devil- 
bird, etc. The Alpine swift of Europe is Cyptelw melba, 
white below, and resembling the rock-swift. There are 
several United States species, of which the best-known 
is the chimney swift, Cntetura prlagiea, popularly called 
chimiieti-fiicnHmc, though it is in no sense a swallow. Rock- 
swifts belong to the genus Panyptila, as /'. taxatilis of 
western North America. Cloud-awifta constitute the genus 
Xf/ihircetex. Swiftsof thegcniisCoiiocfflitn build the edible 
bird's. nests: they are small species, sometimes called 
talnngaiicA and .-"/"/, K Palm-swifts are small apecies of 
the genus Tachttrnig, as 7". phoenicobia of the West Indies. 
Spine-tailed swifts have the tall-feathers mucronate, as in 
the genus Chjftura. See also tree-nc\ft, and cuts under 
Chsetttra, CMncalia, Cypselui. and Panyptila. 
5. A breed of domestic pigeons, of which there 
are several color-varieties. 6. (a) The com- 
mon newt or eft. [Eng.] (6) One of several 
small lizards which run with great swiftness, 
its tin- common brown fence-lizard of the I'niti'il 
States. .Sri //i/ioriiK xiiiliilatus. See cut under 
.ViYo/xini.i-. 7. A ghost-swift, ghost-moth, or 
goat-moth; one of the Kpiiiliilir: so called from 
I lii' rapid flight. The ghost-moth or -swift is Ei>iln* 
htniutli ; the golden swift is K. hfctvg; the evening swift is 
6111 
E.tylriiiiit; the common swift i" /.'. '"/"<<''"" All these 
are British species. Sec cut under i i,x. Northern 
swift, (a) A large bl:i> ki-li .Imid-itwift of north" 
parts of the I nited states, Xephoxetr* M> r oir imrealit). 
(6) A gout ninth K/,ialu* rrllula. 
swift 1 (swift i, mil-. [ < MI i/M, .] In a swift or 
rapid manner; swiftly. 
Light boats sail mn.lt, though greater hulks draw deep. 
Shak.,T. andc., II. 3. 277. 
SWift- (swift), r. t. [< led. m-i/ilH, rcrf (sails), 
pull quickly: see * > : II. n.. Itelfft, >i., 
tvtfter.] To reef (a sail). [Scotdi.] 
swift- (swift), n. f< IWP, ' . ] A tackle used 
in ti^'hli'iiiiiL; stmnling rigging. 
swift-boat (swift'bot), n. Same as flybonl, :i. 
Swifter (swifter), . [ <.w (/'<'-' + -<r'. Cf. Icel. 
geiptnti;/r. Kni'tiiii/i; Sw. xi-iiit-linnr. Dan. ' 
. . . . ^. 
reeftng-ropes : see ir/( 2 .] 1. Xaut.: (a) The 
forward shroud of the lower rigging. 
The line Is snatched in a block upon the twifier, and 
three or four men haul It In and coll it away. 
R. II. Dana, Jr., Before the Mast, p. 421. 
(6) ul. Formerly, in English ships, the after pair 
of shrouds, (c) A small line joining the outer 
ends of capstan-bars to confine them to their 
sockets while the capstan is being turned, (rf) 
A rope used to encircle a boat longitudinally to 
strengthen and defend her sides in collision. 
2. Tackling to fasten a load to a wagon. [Prov. 
Eng.] 3. A strong short stick inserted loop- 
wise into a rope or chain that goes round a 
load, acting as a lever to bind the load more 
tightly together. [Local, U. S. and Canada.] 
swifter (swifter), r. t. [< xtriftrr, .] A'u<., to 
tighten by binding together, as the shrouds of 
the lower rigging Swlfterlng-in line, a rope med 
to girt In the shrouds before the ratlines are hitched on. 
To swifter a ship, to haul a ship ashore or careen her. 
- To swifter the capstan-bar. See cap*tan-bar. 
swiftfoot (swift'fut), a. and n. [< stciftl + 
foot.] I.t a. Swift of foot; nimble. 
Where now . . . 
The hauke, the hound, the hiude, the nr(fl-/oat hare? 
Mir. for Magi., II. 669. 
II. n. A bird of the genus Cursorius; one of 
the coursers. See cut under Cursoriiui. 
swiftr-footed (swift'fut'ed), a. Fleet; swift in 
running. 
The fin'fl-fiiijifil martin pursued him. ArbvUmoL 
swift-handed (swift'han'ded), n. Prompt in 
action ; quick. 
A *u\ft handrd, deep-hearted race of men. Carlyle. 
In this country, corruption or maladministration In Judi- 
cial procedure would be followed by nct^ft-handed retri- 
bution. The Atlantic, LXVI. 673. 
swift-heeled (swift'held), a. Swift of foot. 
She takes delight 
The tncijt'hffl'd horse to praise. 
Congrere, Ode to Lord Godolphin. 
swiftlet (Bwift'let), . [< swifti + -let.~\ A 
small kind of swift ; a member of the genus Col- 
localia; a salangane. See cut under Collocalia. 
swiftly (swift'li), adv. [< ME. giriftliche, swift- 
Hk; < swifft + -fy 2 -] In a swift or rapid man- 
ner; fleetly; rapidly; with celerity ; quickly. 
Siriflly seize the Joy that tni\ftly flies. 
Conyrece, Ovid's Art of Love. 
swift-moth (swift'mdth), n. Any moth of the 
family Epialidee (or Cossidie); a goat-moth; a 
swift. See swiff 1 , ., 7, and cut under Cossus. 
swiftness (swift'nes), . [< ME. swiftnessc, 
swyftnes, siciftnes, < AS. stciftnes, (. swift, swift : 
see mrtfti.] The state or quality of being swift ; 
speed; rapid motion; quickness; celerity; ex- 
pedition. 
The other River is called the Rhodanus, much f amoused 
by the ancient Latlne Poets for the tictftneimt thereof. 
Coryat, Crudities, I. 61. 
This King (Harold] for his Subnets in Running was 
called Harefoot. Baker, Chronicles, p. 18. 
= Syn. Rapidity, Speed, etc. See quieknen. 
swilt-shrlket (swift'shrik), . [< xtciffl,n.,4, + 
shrike.] A bird of the genus Ocypterns; a kind 
of swallow-shrike or wood-swallow. Swairuion. 
swift-winged (swift'wingd), a. Rapid in flight. 
Nor staying longer than one nrift-mny'd Night. 
Prior, Solomon, 111. 
swiftyt (swif'ti), a. [< sicift 1 + -y 1 .] Swift. 
Goof/e, Epitaph of M. Shelley. [Rare.] 
swig 1 (swig), r. ; pret. and pp. sirigqed, ppr. 
sirigginfl. [Perhaps ult., through dial, corrup- 
tion, < AS. stcetgan (pret. sicealg), swallow : 
see stcallotc 1 . Ci. bag? as related' to AS. bsela. 
In sense the word is associated with nwill.] I. 
trims. 1. To drink by large draughts; <Wnk off 
rapidly and greedily : as, to sirig one's liquor. 
There *s a barrel of porter at Tammany Hall, 
And the bucktafls are nrigging it all the night long. 
Uallcck, Fanny. 
swill 
2. To sui'k, or suck at, eagerly, as when liquid 
will lint ro me readily. 
The lambkins mriy the tr.it . 
But flnd ii" Minisiun-, iuj'1 thi'ii iMIj bl. 'ill. 
Creech, tr. of \ iiuil - l.rl,,j.-in-,, ilj. ( Uichardtm.) 
II. in I runs. 1. To i:i ken - wig, or deep ill aught. 
[CoDoq.] 
The jolly toper ntigyed lustily at his tKittle. 
llairthornr. Seven Gables, xl. 
2. To leak out. Iliilliirrll. [1'rov. Kng.] 
swig 1 (swig), ii. [< Hirii/ 1 , r.] 1. A large or 
deep draught. [Colloq.] 
But one nriy more, sweet madam. 
Middtfton and Knidf.t. I 'li:int'. iing, Iv. 1. 
Take a little lunch, . . . and a nri'.i "I hi-key and 
water. Harper 't May., LXXI. 182. 
2. Ale and toasted bread. Ijiilnnn. 
swig'- (swig), v. t.; pret. and pp. mrigged, ppr. 
fiirii/i/iin/. [Ajipar. a var. of xicag.] 1. Same 
as swag or sway. Specifically 2. To pull a 
rope fast at both ends upon, by throwing the 
weight on the bight of it. 
In hoisting sails after reefing, be careful (particularly U 
it be blowing fresh) not to nri<j them up too taut 
Lvce, Seamanship, p. 454. 
3. To castrate, as a ram, by binding the testi- 
cles tight with a string so that they slough off. 
[Local, Eng.] To swig off, to pull at right angles at 
a rope secured at both ends. 
What U called nnyying off that is, pulling at right 
angle* to a rope Is, at first, a very great power: but It 
decreases as the rope is pulled out of the straight line. 
Luce, Seamanship, p. 79. 
swig 2 (swig), n. [< in'<7 2 , r.] 1. A pull on a 
rope fast at both ends. 2. Xaut., a tackle the 
falls of which are not parallel. 
SWile (swil), H. [Prob. a dial, corruption of 
seal 1 .] A seal. Sportsman's Gazetteer. [New- 
foundland.] 
swill 1 (swil), v. [Early mod. E. also sicyll; < 
ME. swilifn, mccle, swif?, < AS. Sicilian, wash ; 
cf. Sw. sqrala, gush, Icel. skyla, Dan. ski/llr, 
swill, rinse, wash (see squall 1 ).] I. trans. 1. 
To rinse; drench; wash; bathe. [Obsolete or 
provincial.] 
I ticyll, I rynce or dense any maner vessell. 
Paltyrave, p. 745. 
As fearfully as dotb a galled rock 
O'erhang and jutty his confounded base, 
Strill'd with the wild and wasteful ocean. 
SAot.,Hen. V., III. 1.14. 
Previous to every dip the work should be well rinsed in 
fresh boiling water, and at the conclusion it should be 
milled in the same manner and dried In boxwood saw- 
dust. G. E. Gee, Goldomltb's Handbook, p. 164. 
2. To drink greedily or to excess. 
The wretched, bloody, and usurping boar . . . 
*" ilh your warm blood like wash. 
Shak., Rich. III., T. 2. 9. 
Let Friar John, In safety, still . . . 
Roast hissing crabs, or flagons ntnll. 
Scott, Marmion, I. 22. 
3. To fill; swell with fullness. 
tiicell me my bowl yet fuller. B. Jorunn, Catiline, I. I. 
I should be loth 
To meet the rudeness and mrill'd Insolence 
Of such late wassailers. .Vilimi. Comus, 1. 178. 
Till they can show there 's something they lore better 
than girillinff themselves with ale, extension of the suf- 
frage can never mean anything for them but extension of 
boozing. George EKat, Felix Holt, xi. 
II. intrans. 1. To wash; rinse. 
Kezia, the good-hearted, bad-tempered housemaid, . . . 
bad begun to scrub and tuill. 
George Eliot, Mill on the Floss, III. 6. 
2. To drink greedily; drink to excess. 
They which on this day doe drink & nrill 
In such lewd fashion. 
Timti WhMlf (E. E. T. 8.), p. 20. 
Ye eat, and nrill. and sleep, and gormandize, and thrive, 
while we are wasting in mortification. 
Sheridan, The Duenna, ill. 5. 
SWill 1 (swil), n. [< siriM 1 , r.] 1. Drink; liquor, 
as drunk to excess: so called in contempt. 
2. Liquid food for animals; specifically, the 
refuse or leavings of the kite-hen, as given to 
swine. 
Give swine such nrill as yon have. Mortimer. 
3t. A keeler to wash in, standing on three feet. 
Kay (ed. 1674, p. 47). (Hnllim-ll.) 
swill 2 (swil), n. [Origin obscure ; perhaps an- 
other use of stcilt 1 , n., 3.] 1. A wicker basket 
of a round or globular form, with open top, in 
which red herrings and other fish and goods are 
carried to market for sale. Halliwell. [Prov. 
Eng.] 
Baskets of a peculiar shape, called nirtftt. 
Sncyc. Brit., IX. 25?. 
Specifically 2. A basket of 100 herrings. 
[Prov. Eng.] 
