¹quick

quick, prompt, ready, apt mean able to respond without delay or hesitation or indicative of such ability. quick stresses instancy of response and is likely to connote native rather than acquired power <quick reflexes> <a keen quick mind>. prompt is more likely to connote training and discipline that fits one for instant response <prompt emergency medical care>. ready suggests facility or fluency in response <backed by a pair of ready assistants>. apt stresses the possession of qualities (as intelligence, a particular talent, or a strong bent) that makes quick effective response possible <an apt student> <her answer was apt and to the point>.

The word quick first meant “alive.” Most animals that are alive can move and run, so quick came to mean “moving” or “running.” From this sense came the sense of quick that is most familiar today: “fast.” New senses have come from this common sense. Quick can mean “alert,” which is “fast in understanding,” or “reacting fast.”

quick, prompt, and ready mean able to respond right away. quick is used when the response is immediate and often when the ability is part of a person's nature. <He has quick reflexes.> prompt is used when the ability to respond right away is the product of training and discipline. <The store gives prompt service.> ready is used when the response comes easy or is smooth. <He always had a ready answer to every question.>