Swap Swap intransitive verb [ Confer
Swap ,
transitive verb ]
1. To fall or descend; to rush hastily or violently. C. Richardson (Dict.). All suddenly she swapt adown to ground.
Chaucer. 2. To beat the air, or ply the wings, with a sweeping motion or noise; to flap.
Swap Swap noun [ Confer German
schwapp , noun , a slap, swap,
schwapp ,
schwapps , interj., slap! smack! and English
swap , v.t.]
1. A blow; a stroke. [ Obsolete or Prov. Eng.]
2. An exchange; a barter. [ Colloq.]
Sir W. Scott.
Swap Swap adverb [ See
Swap ,
noun ]
Hastily. [ Prov. Eng.]
Swape Swape noun See Sweep , noun , 12.
Sward Sward noun [ Anglo-Saxon
sweard skin, covering; akin to OFries.
swarge , Dutch
zwoord , German
schwarte , Icelandic
svör...r skin, sward of the earth.]
1. Skin; covering. [ Obsolete or Prov. Eng.]
Halliwell. 2. The grassy surface of land; that part of the soil which is filled with the roots of grass; turf. The sward was trim as any garden lawn.
Tennyson. Sward pork ,
bacon in large fitches. [ Prov. Eng.]
Sward Sward transitive verb & i. [
imperfect & past participle Swarded ;
present participle & verbal noun Swarding .]
To produce sward upon; to cover, or be covered, with sward. Mortimer.
Sward-cutter Sward"-cut`ter noun (a) A plow for turning up grass land. (b) A lawn mower.
Swarded Sward"ed adjective Covered with sward. Mrs. Browning.
Swardy Sward"y adjective Covered with sward or grass.
Sware Sware imperfect of Swear . [ Obsolete or Poetic]
Cophetua sware a royal oath.
Tennyson.
Swarf Swarf intransitive verb [ Confer
Swerve .]
To grow languid; to faint. [ Scot.] "To
swarf for very hunger."
Sir W. Scott.
Swarf Swarf noun [ Confer
Swerve .]
The grit worn away from grindstones in grinding cutlery wet. [ Prov. Eng.]
Swarm Swarm intransitive verb [ Confer
Swerve .]
To climb a tree, pole, or the like, by embracing it with the arms and legs alternately. See Shin . [ Colloq.]
At the top was placed a piece of money, as a prize for those who could swarm up and seize it.
W. Coxe.
Swarm Swarm noun [ Middle English
swarm , Anglo-Saxon
swearm ; akin to Dutch
zwerm , German
schwarm , Old High German
swaram , Icelandic
svarmr a tumult, Swedish
svärm a swarm, Danish
sværm , and German
schwirren to whiz, to buzz, Sanskrit
svar to sound, and perhaps to English
swear . √177. Confer
Swerve ,
Swirl .]
1. A large number or mass of small animals or insects, especially when in motion. "A deadly
swarm of hornets."
Milton. 2. Especially, a great number of honeybees which emigrate from a hive at once, and seek new lodgings under the direction of a queen; a like body of bees settled permanently in a hive. "A
swarm of bees."
Chaucer. 3. Hence, any great number or multitude, as of people in motion, or sometimes of inanimate objects; as, a swarm of meteorites. Those prodigious swarms that had settled themselves in every part of it [ Italy].
Addison. Syn. -- Multitude; crowd; throng.
Swarm Swarm intransitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Swarmed ;
present participle & verbal noun Swarming .]
1. To collect, and depart from a hive by flight in a body; -- said of bees; as, bees swarm in warm, clear days in summer. 2. To appear or collect in a crowd; to throng together; to congregate in a multitude. Chaucer. 3. To be crowded; to be thronged with a multitude of beings in motion. Every place swarms with soldiers.
Spenser. 4. To abound; to be filled (with). Atterbury. 5. To breed multitudes. Not so thick swarmed once the soil
Bedropped with blood of Gorgon.
Milton.
Swarm Swarm transitive verb To crowd or throng. Fanshawe.
Swarmspore Swarm"spore` noun 1. (Botany) One of innumerable minute, motile, reproductive bodies, produced asexually by certain algæ and fungi; a zoöspore. 2. (Zoology) One of the minute flagellate germs produced by the sporulation of a protozoan; -- called also zoöspore .
Swart Swart noun Sward. [ Obsolete]
Holinshed.
Swart Swart adjective [ Middle English
swart , Anglo-Saxon
sweart black; akin to OFries, Old Saxon & LG.
swart , Dutch
zwart , German
schwartz , Old High German
swarz , Icelandic
svarir , Swedish
svart , Danish
sort , Goth.
swarts ; confer Latin
sordes dirt,
sordere to be dirty. Confer
Sordid ,
Surd .]
1. Of a dark hue; moderately black; swarthy; tawny. "
Swart attendants."
Trench. "
Swart savage maids."
Hawthorne. A nation strange, with visage swart .
Spenser. 2. Gloomy; malignant. [ Obsolete]
Milton. Swart star ,
the Dog Star; -- so called from its appearing during the hot weather of summer, which makes swart the countenance. [ R.]
Milton.
Swart Swart transitive verb To make swart or tawny; as, to swart a living part. Sir T. Browne.
Swartback Swart"back` noun (Zoology) The black-backed gull ( Larus marinus ); -- called also swarbie . [ Prov. Eng.]
Swarth Swarth adjective Swart; swarthy. "A
swarth complexion."
Chapman.
Swarth Swarth noun An apparition of a person about to die; a wraith. [ Prov. Eng.]
Grose.
Swarth Swarth noun [ See
Sward .]
Sward; short grass. Grassy swarth , close cropped by nibbling sheep.
Cowper.
Swarth Swarth noun See Swath .
Swarthily Swarth"i·ly adverb In a swarthy manner; with a tawny hue; duskily.
Swarthiness Swarth"i·ness noun The quality or state of being swarthy; a dusky or dark complexion; tawniness.
Swarthness Swarth"ness noun Swarthiness. [ R.]
Dr. R. Clerke.
Swarthy Swarth"y adjective [
Compar. Swarthier ;
superl. Swarthiest .] [ See
Swart ,
adjective ]
Being of a dark hue or dusky complexion; tawny; swart; as, swarthy faces. "A
swarthy Ethiope."
Shak. Their swarthy hosts would darken all our plains.
Addison.
Swarthy Swarth"y transitive verb To make swarthy. [ Obsolete]
Cowley.
Swartiness Swart"i·ness noun Swarthiness. [ Obsolete]
Swartish Swart"ish adjective Somewhat swart, dark, or tawny.
Swartness Swart"ness noun The quality or state of being swart.
Swarty Swart"y adjective Swarthy; tawny. [ Obsolete]
Burton.
Swarve Swarve intransitive verb [ See
Swerve .]
1. To swerve. [ Obsolete or Scot.]
Spenser. Jamieson. 2. To climb. [ Prov. Eng.]
Halliwell.
Swash Swash noun [ Confer
Swash ,
intransitive verb ,
Squash ,
transitive verb ]
(Architecture) An oval figure, whose moldings are oblique to the axis of the work. Moxon. Swash plate (Machinery) ,
a revolving circular plate, set obliquely on its shaft, and acting as a cam to give a reciprocating motion to a rod in a direction parallel to the shaft.
Swash Swash adjective [ Confer
Swash ,
intransitive verb ,
Squash ,
transitive verb ]
Soft, like fruit too ripe; swashy. [ Prov. Eng.]
Pegge.
Swash Swash intransitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Swashed ;
present participle & verbal noun Swashing .] [ Probably of imitative origin; confer Swedish
svasska to splash, and, for sense 3, Swedish
svassa to bully, to rodomontade.]
1. To dash or flow noisily, as water; to splash; as, water swashing on a shallow place. 2. To fall violently or noisily. [ Obsolete]
Holinshed. 3. To bluster; to make a great noise; to vapor or brag.
Swash Swash noun 1. Impulse of water flowing with violence; a dashing or splashing of water. 2. A narrow sound or channel of water lying within a sand bank, or between a sand bank and the shore, or a bar over which the sea washes. 3. Liquid filth; wash; hog mash. [ Obsolete]
4. A blustering noise; a swaggering behavior. [ Obsolete]
5. A swaggering fellow; a swasher.
Swashbuckler Swash"buc`kler noun A bully or braggadocio; a swaggering, boastful fellow; a swaggerer. Milton.
Swasher Swash"er noun One who makes a blustering show of valor or force of arms. Shak.
Swashing Swash"ing adjective 1. Swaggering; hectoring. "A
swashing and martial outside."
Shak. 2. Resounding; crushing. "
Swashing blow."
Shak.
Swashway Swash"way` noun Same as 4th Swash , 2.
Swashy Swash"y adjective Soft, like fruit that is too ripe; quashy; swash. [ Prov. Eng.]
Swastika, Swastica Swas"ti·ka, Swas"ti·ca noun [ Also
suastica ,
svastika , etc.] [ Sanskrit
svastika , from
svasti walfare;
su well +
asti being.]
A symbol or ornament in the form of a Greek cross with the ends of the arms at right angles all in the same direction, and each prolonged to the height of the parallel arm of the cross. A great many modified forms exist, ogee and volute as well as rectilinear, while various decorative designs, as Greek fret or meander, are derived from or closely associated with it. The swastika is found in remains from the Bronze Age in various parts of Europe, esp. at Hissarlik (Troy), and was in frequent use as late as the 10th century. It is found in ancient Persia, in India, where both Jains and Buddhists used (or still use) it as religious symbol, in China and Japan, and among Indian tribes of North, Central, and South America. It is usually thought to be a charm, talisman, or religious token, esp. a sign of good luck or benediction. Max MüLler distinguished from the swastika , with arms prolonged to the right, the suavastika , with arms prolonged to the left, but this distinction is not commonly recognized. Other names for the swastika are fylfot and gammadion .
Swat Swat (swŏt), obsolete
imperfect of Sweat . Chaucer.
Swatch Swatch noun 1. A swath. [ Obsolete]
Tusser. 2. A piece, pattern, or sample, generally of cloth. Halliwell. Jamieson.
Swate Swate (swāt), obsolete
imperfect of Sweat . Thomson.
Swath Swath (swath; 277)
noun [ Anglo-Saxon
swaðu a track, trace; akin to Dutch
zwaad ,
zwad ,
zwade , a swath of grass, German
schwad ,
schwaden ; perhaps, originally, a shred. Confer
Swathe ,
transitive verb ]
1. A line of grass or grain cut and thrown together by the scythe in mowing or cradling. 2. The whole sweep of a scythe, or the whole breadth from which grass or grain is cut by a scythe or a machine, in mowing or cradling; as, to cut a wide swath . 3. A band or fillet; a swathe. Shak. Swath bank ,
a row of new-mown grass. [ Prov. Eng.]
Swathe Swathe (swā&thlig;)
transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Swathed (swā&thlig;d);
present participle & verbal noun Swathing .] [ Middle English
swathen , Anglo-Saxon
sweðain . See
Swath ,
noun , and confer
Swaddle .]
To bind with a swathe, band, bandage, or rollers. Their children are never swathed or bound about with any thing when they are first born.
Abp. Abbot.
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