Swagger Swag"ger intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Swaggered ; present participle & verbal noun Swaggering .] [ Freq. of swag .] 1. To walk with a swaying motion; hence, to walk and act in a pompous, consequential manner.

A man who swaggers about London clubs.

Beaconsfield. 2. To boast or brag noisily; to be ostentatiously proud or vainglorious; to bluster; to bully.

What a pleasant it is . . . to swagger at the bar!

Arbuthnot.

To be great is not . . . to swagger at our footmen.

Colier.

Swagger Swag"ger transitive verb To bully. [ R.] Swift.

Swagger Swag"ger noun The act or manner of a swaggerer.

He gave a half swagger , half leer, as he stepped forth to receive us.

W. Irving.

Swagger Swag"ger noun A swagman. [ Australia]

Swaggerer Swag"ger·er noun One who swaggers; a blusterer; a bully; a boastful, noisy fellow. Shak.

Swaggie Swag"gie noun A swagman. [ Australia]

Swaggy Swag"gy adjective Inclined to swag; sinking, hanging, or leaning by its weight. Sir T. Browne.

Swagman Swag"man noun A bushman carrying a swag and traveling on foot; -- called also swagsman , swagger , and swaggie .

Swagsman Swags"man noun A swagman. [ Australia]

Swain Swain noun [ Middle English swain , swein , Icelandic sveinn a boy, servant; akin to Swedish sven , Danish svend , Anglo-Saxon swān , Old High German swein .] 1. A servant. [ Obsolete]

Him behoves serve himself that has no swain .

Chaucer. 2. A young man dwelling in the country; a rustic; esp., a cuntry gallant or lover; -- chiefly in poetry.

It were a happy life
To be no better than a homely swain .

Shak.

Blest swains ! whose nymphs in every grace excel.

Pope.

Swainish Swain"ish adjective Pertaining to, or resembling, a swain; rustic; ignorant. "An ungentle and swainish beast." Milton. -- Swain"ish*ness , noun Emerson.

Swainling Swain"ling noun A little swain. [ R.]

Swainmote Swain"mote` noun [ Swain + mote meeting: confer Late Latin swanimotum .] (Eng. Forest Law) A court held before the verders of the forest as judges, by the steward of the court, thrice every year, the swains, or freeholders, within the forest composing the jury. [ Written also swanimote , and sweinmote .] Blackstone.

Swainship Swain"ship noun The condition of a swain.

Swaip Swaip intransitive verb [ Confer Sweep .] To walk proudly; to sweep along. [ Prov. Eng.] Todd.

Swal Swal obsolete imperfect of Swell . Swelled. Chaucer.

Swale Swale noun [ Confer Icelandic svalr cool, svala to cool.] A valley or low place; a tract of low, and usually wet, land; a moor; a fen. [ Prov. Eng. & Local, U.S.]

Swale Swale intransitive verb & t. To melt and waste away; to singe. See Sweal , v.

Swale Swale noun A gutter in a candle. [ Prov. Eng.]

Swallet Swal"let noun [ Confer German schwall a sea swell, from schwellen to swell, English swell .] Water breaking in upon the miners at their work; -- so called among tin miners. [ Prov. Eng.]

Swallow Swal"low noun [ Middle English swalowe , Anglo-Saxon swalewe , swealwe ; akin to Dutch zwaluw , Old High German swalawa , German schwalbe , Icelandic & Swedish svala , Danish svale .] 1. (Zoology) Any one of numerous species of passerine birds of the family Hirundinidæ , especially one of those species in which the tail is deeply forked. They have long, pointed wings, and are noted for the swiftness and gracefulness of their flight. » The most common North American species are the barn swallow (see under Barn ), the cliff, or eaves, swallow (see under Cliff ), the white-bellied, or tree, swallow ( Tachycineta bicolor ), and the bank swallow (see under Bank ). The common European swallow ( Chelidon rustica ), and the window swallow, or martin ( Chelidon urbica ), are familiar species. 2. (Zoology) Any one of numerous species of swifts which resemble the true swallows in form and habits, as the common American chimney swallow, or swift. 3. (Nautical) The aperture in a block through which the rope reeves. Ham. Nav. Encyc. Swallow plover (Zoology) , any one of several species of fork-tailed ploverlike birds of the genus Glareola , as G. orientalis of India; a pratincole. -- Swallow shrike (Zoology) , any one of several species of East Indian and Asiatic birds of the family Artamiidæ , allied to the shrikes but similar to swallows in appearance and habits. The ashy swallow shrike ( Artamus fuscus ) is common in India. -- Swallow warbler (Zoology) , any one of numerous species of East Indian and Australian singing birds of the genus Dicæum . They are allied to the honeysuckers.

Swallow Swal"low transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Swallowed ; present participle & verbal noun Swallowing .] [ Middle English swolewen , swolwen , swolhen , Anglo-Saxon swelgan ; akin to Dutch zwelgen , Old High German swelahan , swelgan , German schwelgen to feast, to revel, Icelandic svelgia to swallow, SW. svälja , Danish svælge . Confer Groundsel a plant.] 1. To take into the stomach; to receive through the gullet, or esophagus, into the stomach; as, to swallow food or drink.

As if I had swallowed snowballs for pills.

Shak. 2. To draw into an abyss or gulf; to ingulf; to absorb -- usually followed by up . Milton.

The earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses.

Num. xvi. 32. 3. To receive or embrace, as opinions or belief, without examination or scruple; to receive implicitly.

Though that story . . . be not so readily swallowed .

Sir T. Browne. 4. To engross; to appropriate; -- usually with up .

Homer excels . . . in this, that he swallowed up the honor of those who succeeded him.

Pope. 5. To occupy; to take up; to employ.

The necessary provision of the life swallows the greatest part of their time.

Locke. 6. To seize and waste; to exhaust; to consume.

Corruption swallowed what the liberal hand
Of bounty scattered.

Thomson. 7. To retract; to recant; as, to swallow one's opinions. " Swallowed his vows whole." Shak. 8. To put up with; to bear patiently or without retaliation; as, to swallow an affront or insult. Syn. -- To absorb; imbibe; ingulf; engross; consume. See Absorb .

Swallow Swal"low intransitive verb To perform the act of swallowing; as, his cold is so severe he is unable to swallow .

Swallow Swal"low noun 1. The act of swallowing. 2. The gullet, or esophagus; the throat. 3. Taste; relish; inclination; liking. [ Colloq.]

I have no swallow for it.

Massinger. 4. Capacity for swallowing; voracity.

There being nothing too gross for the swallow of political rancor.

Prof. Wilson. 5. As much as is, or can be, swallowed at once; as, a swallow of water. 6. That which ingulfs; a whirlpool. [ Obsolete] Fabyan.

Swallow-tailed Swal"low-tailed` adjective 1. Having a tail like that of a swallow; hence, like a swallow's tail in form; having narrow and tapering or pointed skirts; as, a swallow-tailed coat. 2. (Carp.) United by dovetailing; dovetailed. Swallow-tailed duck (Zoology) , the old squaw. -- Swallow-tailed gull (Zoology) , an Arctic gull ( Xema furcata ), which has a deeply forked tail. -- Swallow-tailed hawk or kite (Zoology) , the fork- tailed kite. -- Swallow-tailed moth (Zoology) , a European moth ( Urapteryx sambucaria ) having tail-like lobes on the hind wings.

Swallower Swal"low·er noun One who swallows; also, a glutton. Tatler.

Swallowfish Swal"low·fish` noun (Zoology) The European sapphirine gurnard ( Trigla hirundo ). It has large pectoral fins.

Swallowtail Swal"low·tail` noun 1. (Carp.) A kind of tenon or tongue used in making joints. See Dovetail . 2. (Botany) A species of willow. 3. (Fort.) An outwork with converging sides, its head or front forming a reëntrant angle; -- so called from its form. Called also priestcap . 4. A swallow-tailed coat.

This Stultz coat, a blue swallowtail , with yellow buttons.

Thackeray. 5. An arrow. Sir W. Scott. 6. (Zoology) Any one of numerous species of large and handsome butterflies, belonging to Papilio and allied genera, in which the posterior border of each hind wing is prolongated in the form of a long lobe. » The black swallowtail, or asterias (see Papilio ), the blue swallowtail, or philenor, the tiger swallowtail, or turnus (see Turnus ), and the zebra swallowtail, or ajax (see under Zebra ) are common American species. See also Troilus .

Swallowwort Swal"low·wort` noun (Botany) (a) See Celandine . (b) A poisonous plant ( Vincetoxicum officinale ) of the Milkweed family, at one time used in medicine; -- also called white swallowwort . African swallowwort , a plant of the genus Stapelia.

Swam Swam imperfect of Swim .

Swamp Swamp noun [ Confer Anglo-Saxon swam a fungus, OD. swam a sponge, Dutch zwam a fungus, German schwamm a sponge, Icelandic svöppr , Dan. & Swedish swamp , Goth. swamms , Greek somfo`s porous, spongy.] Wet, spongy land; soft, low ground saturated with water, but not usually covered with it; marshy ground away from the seashore.

Gray swamps and pools, waste places of the hern.

Tennyson.

A swamp differs from a bog and a marsh in producing trees and shrubs, while the latter produce only herbage, plants, and mosses.

Farming Encyc. (E. Edwards, Words). Swamp blackbird . (Zoology) See Redwing (b) . -- Swamp cabbage (Botany) , skunk cabbage. -- Swamp deer (Zoology) , an Asiatic deer ( Rucervus Duvaucelli ) of India. -- Swamp hen . (Zoology) (a) An Australian azure-breasted bird ( Porphyrio bellus ); -- called also goollema . (b) An Australian water crake, or rail ( Porzana Tabuensis ); -- called also little swamp hen . (c) The European purple gallinule. -- Swamp honeysuckle (Botany) , an American shrub ( Azalea, or Rhododendron, viscosa ) growing in swampy places, with fragrant flowers of a white color, or white tinged with rose; -- called also swamp pink . -- Swamp hook , a hook and chain used by lumbermen in handling logs. Confer Cant hook . -- Swamp itch . (Medicine) See Prairie itch , under Prairie . -- Swamp laurel (Botany) , a shrub ( Kalmia glauca ) having small leaves with the lower surface glaucous. -- Swamp maple (Botany) , red maple. See Maple . -- Swamp oak (Botany) , a name given to several kinds of oak which grow in swampy places, as swamp Spanish oak ( Quercus palustris ), swamp white oak ( Q. bicolor ), swamp post oak ( Q. lyrata ). -- Swamp ore (Min.) , bog ore; limonite. -- Swamp partridge (Zoology) , any one of several Australian game birds of the genera Synoicus and Excalfatoria , allied to the European partridges. -- Swamp robin (Zoology) , the chewink. -- Swamp sassafras (Botany) , a small North American tree of the genus Magnolia ( M. glauca ) with aromatic leaves and fragrant creamy-white blossoms; -- called also sweet bay . -- Swamp sparrow (Zoology) , a common North American sparrow ( Melospiza Georgiana , or M. palustris ), closely resembling the song sparrow. It lives in low, swampy places. -- Swamp willow . (Botany) See Pussy willow , under Pussy .

Swamp Swamp transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Swamped ; present participle & verbal noun Swamping .] 1. To plunge or sink into a swamp. 2. (Nautical) To cause (a boat) to become filled with water; to capsize or sink by whelming with water. 3. Fig.: To plunge into difficulties and perils; to overwhelm; to ruin; to wreck.

The Whig majority of the house of Lords was swamped by the creation of twelve Tory peers.

J. R. Green.

Having swamped himself in following the ignis fatuus of a theory.

Sir W. Hamilton.

Swamp Swamp intransitive verb 1. To sink or stick in a swamp; figuratively, to become involved in insuperable difficulties. 2. To become filled with water, as a boat; to founder; to capsize or sink; figuratively, to be ruined; to be wrecked.

Swampy Swamp"y adjective Consisting of swamp; like a swamp; low, wet, and spongy; as, swampy land.

Swan Swan noun [ Anglo-Saxon swan ; akin to Dutch zwaan , Old High German swan , German schwan , Icelandic svanr , Swedish svan , Danish svane ; and perhaps to English sound something audible.] 1. (Zoology) Any one of numerous species of large aquatic birds belonging to Cygnus , Olor , and allied genera of the subfamily Cygninæ . They have a large and strong beak and a long neck, and are noted for their graceful movements when swimming. Most of the northern species are white. In literature the swan was fabled to sing a melodious song, especially at the time of its death. » The European white, or mute, swan ( Cygnus gibbus ), which is most commonly domesticated, bends its neck in an S-shaped curve. The whistling, or trumpeting, swans of the genus Olor do not bend the neck in an S-shaped curve, and are noted for their loud and sonorous cry, due to complex convolutions of the windpipe. To this genus belong the European whooper, or whistling swan ( Olor cygnus ), the American whistling swan ( O. Columbianus ), and the trumpeter swan ( O. buccinator ). The Australian black swan ( Chenopis atrata ) is dull black with white on the wings, and has the bill carmine, crossed with a white band. It is a very graceful species and is often domesticated. The South American black-necked swan ( Sthenelides melancorypha ) is a very beautiful and graceful species, entirely white, except the head and neck, which are dark velvety seal-brown. Its bill has a double bright rose-colored knob. 2. Fig.: An appellation for a sweet singer, or a poet noted for grace and melody; as Shakespeare is called the swan of Avon. 3. (Astron.) The constellation Cygnus. Swan goose (Zoology) , a bird of India ( Cygnopsis cygnoides ) resembling both the swan and the goose. -- Swan shot , a large size of shot used in fowling.

Swan-hopping Swan"-hop`ping noun A corruption of Swan-upping . [ Eng.] Encyc. Brit.

Swan-upping Swan"-up`ping noun A yearly expedition on the Thames to take up young swans and mark them, as by Companies of Dyers and Vintners; -- called also swan- hopping . [ Eng.] Encyc. Brit.

Swan's-down, Swans-down Swan's"-down`, Swans"-down` noun 1. The down, or fine, soft feathers, of the swan, used on various articles of dress. 2. A fine, soft, thick cloth of wool mixed with silk or cotton; a sort of twilled fustian, like moleskin. Swan's-down cotton . See Cotton flannel , under Cotton .

Swang Swang obsolete imperfect of Swing .

Swang Swang noun [ Confer Swamp .] A swamp. [ Prov. Eng.]

Swanherd Swan"herd` noun One who tends or marks swans; as, the royal swanherd of England.

Swanimote Swan"i·mote noun (Eng. Forest Law) See Swainmote .

Swankie, Swanky Swank"ie, Swank"y noun [ Confer German schwank flexible, pliant.] An active and clever young fellow. [ Scot.] Sir W. Scott.

Swanlike Swan"like` adjective Resembling a swan.

Swanmark Swan"mark` noun A mark of ownership cut on the bill or swan. [ Eng.] Encyc. Brit.

Swannery Swan"ner·y noun A place where swans are bred. "The largest swannery in England." Encyc. Brit.

Swanny Swan"ny adjective Swanlike; as, a swanny glossiness of the neck. Richardson.

Swanpan Swan"pan noun [ Confer Schwanpan .] The Chinese abacus; a schwanpan. S. W. Williams.

Swanskin Swan"skin` noun 1. The act of a swan with the down or the feathers on. 2. A species of soft flannel, thick and warm.

Swap Swap transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Swapped ; present participle & verbal noun Swapping .] [ Middle English swappen to strike; confer E. to strike a bargain; perhaps akin to English sweep . Confer Swap a blow, Swap , intransitive verb ] [ Written also swop .] 1. To strike; -- with off . [ Obsolete or Prov. Eng.] " Swap off his head!" Chaucer. 2. To exchange (usually two things of the same kind); to swop. [ Colloq.] Miss Edgeworth.