SWATH, swawth, _n._ a line of grass or corn cut by the scythe: the sweep of
a scythe.--_adj._ SWATH'Y. [A.S. _swathu_, a track; Dut. _zwade_, also a
scythe.]
SWATHE, sw[=a]th, _v.t._ to bind with a band or bandage.--_n._ a bandage.
[A.S. _swethian_; cf. _Swaddle_.]
SWATS, swats, _n._ (_Scot._) new ale: thin sowens.
SWATTER, swat'[.e]r, _v.i._ (_prov._) to spill water about. [Cf. Dut.
_swaddren_, to dabble in water.]
SWAY, sw[=a], _v.t._ to swing or wield with the hand: to incline to one
side: to influence by power or moral force: to govern: to hoist,
raise.--_v.i._ to incline to one side: to govern: to have weight or
influence.--_n._ the sweep of a weapon: that which moves with power:
preponderance: power in governing: influence or authority inclining to one
side: a thatcher's binding-switch.--_adj._ SWAYED (_Shak._), bent down and
injured in the back by heavy burdens--said of a horse. [Prob. Scand., as
Ice. _sveigja_, Dan. _svaie_, to sway; akin to _swing_.]
SWEAL, sw[=e]l, _v.t._ to scorch.--_v.i._ to melt and run down: to burn
away slowly. [A.S. _swelan_.]
SWEAR, sw[=a]r, _v.i._ to affirm, calling God to witness: to give evidence
on oath: to utter the name of God or of sacred things profanely.--_v.t._ to
utter, calling God to witness: to administer an oath to: to declare on
oath:--_pa.t._ sw[=o]re; _pa.p._ sworn.--_n._ SWEAR'ER.--SWEAR AT, to aim
profanity at: to be very incongruous with, esp. in colour; SWEAR BY, to put
complete confidence in; SWEAR IN, to inaugurate by oath; SWEAR OFF, to
renounce, promise to give up. [A.S. _swerian_; Dut. _zweren_, Ger.
_schwören_.]
SWEARD, sw[=e]rd, _n._ (_Spens._) sword.
SWEAT, swet, _n._ the moisture from the skin, the state of one who sweats,
diaphoresis: labour: drudgery.--_v.i._ to give out sweat or moisture: to
toil, drudge for poor wages: to suffer penalty, smart.--_v.t._ to give out,
as sweat: to cause to sweat: to squeeze money or extortionate interest
from, to compel to hard work for mean wages: to wear away or pare down by
friction or other means, as coins: to scrape the sweat from a horse.--_ns._
SWEAT'ER, one who sweats, or that which causes sweating, a diaphoretic: a
heavy kind of jersey used by persons in training for athletic contests, to
reduce their weight: one who sweats coins: a London street ruffian in Queen
Anne's time who prodded weak passengers with his sword-point; SWEAT'INESS;
SWEAT'ING-BATH, a bath to promote perspiration; SWEAT'ING-HOUSE, -ROOM, a
house, room, for sweating persons: a room for sweating cheese and carrying
off the superfluous juices; SWEAT'ING-SICK'NESS, an extremely fatal
epidemic disorder which ravaged Europe, and esp. England, in the 15th and
16th centuries--a violent inflammatory fever, with a fetid perspiration
over the whole body; SWEAT'ING-SYS'TEM, the practice of working poor people
at starvation wages, esp. in making up clothes in their own houses.--_adj._
SWEAT'Y, wet with sweat: consisting of sweat: laborious. [A.S. _swát_,
sweat, _sw['æ]tan_, to sweat; Dut. _zweet_; Low Ger. _sweet_, Ger.
_schweiss_.]