SWAB, swob, _n._ a mop for cleaning or drying floors or decks, or for
cleaning out the bore of a cannon: a bit of sponge, &c., for cleansing the
mouth of a sick person: (_slang_) a naval officer's epaulet: a lubber or
clumsy fellow in sailor's slang.--_v.t._ to clean or dry with a
swab:--_pr.p._ swab'bing; _pa.t._ and _pa.p._ swabbed.--_n._ SWAB'BER, one
who uses a swab: a baker's implement for cleaning ovens. [Dut. _zwabber_, a
swabber, _zwabberen_, to swab; Ger. _schwabber_.]
SWACK, swak, _v.i._ (_Scot._) to drink greedily.
SWACK, swak, _adj._ (_Scot._) active, nimble.
SWAD, swad, _n._ a country lout.
SWADDLE, swod'l, _v.t._ to swathe or bind tight with clothes, as an
infant.--_ns._ SWADD'LER, an Irish papist's name for a Methodist, &c.;
SWADD'LING-BAND, SWADD'LING-CLOTH, a cloth for swaddling an infant:--_pl._
SWADD'LING-CLOTHES (_B._). [A.S. _swethel_, a swaddling-band, _swathu_, a
bandage.]
SWADDY, swod'i, _n._ a soldier, esp. a militiaman.
SWAG, swag, _n._ (_slang_) anything obtained by plunder: baggage, esp. that
carried by one tramping through the bush, a swagman's pack: the subsidence
of a mine-roof: a festoon or hanging cluster of flowers.--_ns._ SWAG'GER,
SWAG'MAN, one who carries his swag about with him in his search for work;
SWAG'SHOP, a place where cheap and trashy goods are sold. [Prob. _swag_
(v.).]
SWAG, swag, _v.i._ to sink down by its own weight.--_adj._ SWAG'-BELL'IED,
having a large projecting belly. [Prob. conn. with _sway_.]
SWAGE, sw[=a]j, _n._ a tool used for making mouldings on sheet-iron.
SWAGE, sw[=a]j, _v.t._ and _v.i._ (_Milt._) to assuage.
SWAGGER, swag'[.e]r, _v.i._ to swing the body in a blustering defiant way:
to brag noisily, to bully.--_n._ boastfulness: insolence of manner.--_adj._
(_slang_) very fashionable.--_n._ SWAGG'ERER.--_adj._ and _n._
SWAGG'ERING.--_adv._ SWAGG'ERINGLY. [A freq. of _swag_=_sway_.]
SWAHILI, swa-h[=e]'li, _n._ the name given to the people of Zanzibar and
the opposite coast belonging to the Bantu stock, with an Arab infusion, and
speaking a Bantu tongue modified by Arabic.--_adj._ SWAHI'LIAN. [Ar.
_Waswahili_, 'coast people.']
SWAIN, sw[=a]n, _n._ a young man: a peasant: a country lover.--_n._
SWAIN'ING, love-making.--_adj._ SWAIN'ISH, boorish.--_n._ SWAIN'ISHNESS,
boorishness. [Ice. _sveinn_, young man, servant, Dan. _svend_, servant.]
SWALE, sw[=a]l, _n._ a shady spot: a lower tract of rolling prairie.
SWALLOW, swol'[=o], _n._ a migratory bird with long wings, which seizes its
insect food on the wing: a genus (_Hirundo_) and family (_Hirundinidæ_) of
passerine birds, with long and pointed wings.--_adj._ SWALL'OW-TAILED, like
a swallow's tail in form, forked and pointed--of a dress-coat. [A.S.
_swalewe_; Ger. _schwalbe_.]
SWALLOW, swol'[=o], _v.t._ to receive through the gullet into the stomach:
to engulf: to absorb: to occupy: to exhaust.--_n._ SWALL'OWER. [A.S.
_swelgan_, to swallow; cog. with Ger. _schwelgen_.]
SWAM, swam, _pa.t._ of _swim_.
SWAMP, swomp, _n._ wet, spongy land: low ground filled with water.--_v.t._
to sink in, or as in a swamp: to overset, or cause to fill with water, as a
boat.--_adj._ SWAMP'Y, consisting of swamp: wet and spongy. [Scand., Dan.
and Sw. _svamp_, a sponge; from the root of _swim_.]
SWAN, swon, _n._ a genus of birds constituting a very distinct section of
the Duck family _Anatidæ_, having the neck as long as the body, noted for
grace and stateliness of movement on the water.--_ns._ SWAN'-GOOSE, the
China goose; SWAN'-HERD, one who tends swans; SWAN'-HOP'PING, better
SWAN'-MARK'ING and SWAN'-UP'PING, the custom of marking the upper mandible
of a swan to show ownership--done annually to the royal swans on the
Thames, the occasion being excuse for a festive expedition.--_adj._
SWAN'-LIKE.--_ns._ SWAN'-MAID'EN, a familiar figure in European folklore,
changing at will into a maiden or a swan by means of the magic properties
of her shift; SWAN'-MARK, the notch made on the swan's upper mandible;
SWAN'-NECK, the end of a pipe, &c., curved like a swan's neck; SWAN'NERY, a
place where swans are kept and tended.--_adj._ SWAN'NY, swan-like.--_ns._
SWAN'S'-DOWN, the down or under-plumage of a swan, used for powder-puffs,
&c.: a soft woollen cloth: a thick cotton with a soft nap on one side;
SWAN'-SHOT, a shot of large size, like buck-shot; SWAN'-SKIN, the unplucked
skin of a swan: a soft, nappy, fine-twilled flannel; SWAN'-SONG, the fabled
song of a swan just before its death: a poet's or musician's last work.
[A.S. _swan_; Ger. _schwan_, Dut. _zwaan_.]
SWANG, swang, _n._ (_prov._) a swamp.
SWANK, swangk, _adj._ (_Scot._) slender, pliant: agile, supple--also
SWANK'ING.--_n._ SWANK'Y, an active fellow. [A.S. _swancor_, pliant; Ger.
_schwank_.]
SWANKY, SWANKIE, swangk'i, _n._ poor thin beer or any sloppy drink, even
sweetened water and vinegar.
SWANPAN. See SHWANPAN.
SWAP, swop, _v.t._ to barter.--_n._ an exchange.--_adj._ SWAP'PING, large.
[_Swop_.]
SWAPE, sw[=a]p, _n._ (_prov._) a pump-handle: a large oar or sweep: a
sconce for holding a light.--_v.i._ to sweep: to place aslant.--_n._
SWAPE'-WELL, a well from which water is raised by a well-sweep.
SWARD, swawrd, _n._ the grassy surface of land: green turf--also
SWARTH.--_v.t._ to cover with sward.--_adjs._ SWARD'ED, SWARD'Y, covered
with sward. [A.S. _sweard_; Dut. _zwoord_, Ger. _schwarte_.]
SWARE, sw[=a]r (_B._), _pa.t._ of _swear_.
SWARF, swärf, _v.i._ to faint.--_n._ a swoon.
SWARF, swärf, _n._ the grit from a grindstone in grinding cutlery wet.
SWARM, swawrm, _n._ a body of humming or buzzing insects: a cluster of
insects, esp. of bee: a great number: throng.--_v.i._ to gather as bees: to
appear in a crowd: to throng: to abound: to breed multitudes.--_v.t._ to
cause to breed in swarms. [A.S. _swearm_; Ger. _schwarm_; from the same
root as Ger. _schwirren_.]
SWARM, swawrm, _v.i._ to climb a tree by scrambling up by means of arms and
legs (with _up_).
SWARTH, swawrth, _n._ (_Shak._). Same as SWATH.
SWARTH, swawrth, _n._ a wraith, apparition of a person about to die.
SWARTHY, swawrth'i, _adj._ of a blackish complexion: dark-skinned:
tawny--also SWART, SWARTH.--_adv._ SWARTH'ILY.--_ns._ SWARTHI'INESS;
SWART'-STAR (_Milt._), the dog-star, so called because at the time of its
appearance it darkens the complexion. [A.S. _sweart_; Ice. _svartr_, Ger.
_schwarz_, black.]
SWARVE, swawrv, _v.i._ to swerve.
SWASH, swosh, _v.t._ to dash or splash.--_v.i._ to make a splashing noise,
to wash up against.--_ns._ SWASH'-BUCK'LER, a bully, a blusterer; SWASH'ER
(_Shak._), one who swashes, a blusterer.--_adj._ SWASH'ING, slashing,
crushing.--_n.pl._ SWASH'-LETT'ERS, Italic capitals with top and bottom
flourishes, intended to fill out ugly gaps.--_ns._ SWASH'-PLATE, a disc set
obliquely on a revolving axis, to give a reciprocating motion to a bar
along its length; SWASH'-WORK, lathe-work in which the cuts are inclined to
the axis of rotation.--_adj._ SWASH'Y, swaggering. [Scand.; cf. dial. Sw.
_svasska_, Norw. _svakka_, prov. Eng. _swack_, a blow.]
SWASTIKA, swäs'ti-ka, _n._ the same as _Fylfot_ (q.v.).--Also SVAS'TIKA and
_Gammadion_. [Sans., 'fortunate.']
SWAT, swot (_Spens._), _pa.t._ of _sweat_.