1. having to do with or resembling a swift. 2. belonging to the
same family of birds as a former variety of English hunting
hound, with hanging ears and heavy jaws, from which the
bloodhound and other hounds were developed. 1a. of or like
straw. b. (Figurative.) valueless. 2. (Botany.) strawcolored. 1.
a ship's maximum prescribed speed. Ex. They turned out to be
three Indonesian torpedo boats racing at flank speed (40 knots)
toward the Dutch New Guinea coast (Time). 2. a very great speed;
top speed. Ex. Seventh Avenue was filled with cabs, all rushing
past at flank speed (Russell Baker). The ships in a fleet had to
maintain moderate speed to allow slower vessels to maintain
their position and avoid collisions. If high speed were suddenly
required, only the vessels on the flanks could accelerate
immediately, with full war power. a kind of marble that shows
alternations of various coloring, especially white and green.
circulus in definiendo,(Latin.) 1. a circle in defining. 2. a
faulty form of definition in whi