quick

[[t]kwɪk[/t]]

adj. and adv. -er, -est, n. adj.

1) done, proceeding, or occurring with promptness or rapidity:

a quick response[/ex]

2) completed in a short time:

a quick shower[/ex]

3) moving with speed:

a quick fox[/ex]

4) cvb easily provoked or excited:

a quick temper[/ex]

5) cvb keenly responsive; lively; acute:

a quick wit[/ex]

6) acting with swiftness or rapidity:

a quick worker[/ex]

7) prompt or swift in doing, perceiving, or understanding:

quick to respond; a quick eye[/ex]

8) (of a bend or curve) sharp:

a quick bend in the road[/ex]

9) brisk, as fire, flames, or heat

10) archaic

a) endowed with life

b) having a high degree of energy or activity

11) living persons:

the quick and the dead[/ex]

12) the tender, sensitive flesh of the living body, esp. that under the nails

13) the vital or most important part

14) quickly

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Etymology: bef. 900; ME quik lively, moving, swift; OE cwic, cwicu living; c. G queck, keck, ON kvikr quick′ness, n. syn: quick, fast, swift, rapid describe a speedy rate of motion or progress. quick applies particularly to an action or reaction that is almost instantaneous, or of brief duration: to take a quick look around. fast refers to a person or thing that acts or moves speedily; when used of communication or transportation, it suggests a definite goal and continuous movement: a fast swimmer; a fast train. swift, a more formal word, suggests great speed as well as graceful movement: The panther is a swift animal. rapid applies to one or a series of actions or movements; it stresses the rate of speed: to perform rapid calculations. See also sharp usage: The difference between the adverbial forms quick and quickly is frequently stylistic. quick is informal, more often used in short spoken sentences, esp. imperative ones: Come quick! The roof is leaking. quickly is the usual form in writing, both in the preverb position (We quickly realized that attempts to negotiate would be futile) and following verbs other than imperatives (She turned quickly and sat down). See also slow, sure