sw -abbr

  1. switch

SW -abbr

  1. shortwave
  2. southwest

swab ['swäb] -n

  1. mop
  2. a yarn mop
  3. a wad of absorbent material usu. wound around one end of a small stick and used esp. for applying medication or for removing material from an area
  4. a specimen taken with a swab
  5. a sponge or cloth patch attached to a long handle and used to clean the bore of a firearm
  6. a useless or contemptible person
  7. sailor, gob
  8. to clean with or as if with a swab
  9. to apply medication to with a swab
    • swabbed the wound with iodine

swab·ber ['swä-bər] -n

  1. one that swabs
  2. swab

swab·bie ['swä-bē] -n

  1. swab

swad·dle ['swä-dᵊl] -vt

  1. to wrap (an infant) with swaddling clothes
  2. envelop, swathe
    • legs swaddled in bandages
  3. restrain, restrict
    • marriage... swaddled him in a domesticity he came to loathe -- Nina Auerbach

swaddling clothes -n pl

  1. narrow strips of cloth wrapped around an infant to restrict movement
  2. limitations or restrictions imposed on the immature or inexperienced

swag ['swag] -vb

  1. sway, lurch
  2. sag, droop
  3. to adorn with swags
  4. to arrange (as drapery) in swags
  5. sway
  6. something (as a decoration) hanging in a curve between two points : festoon
  7. a suspended cluster (as of evergreen branches)
  8. goods acquired by unlawful means : loot
  9. spoils, profits
  10. a depression in the earth
  11. a pack of personal belongings

swage ['swāj, 'swej] -n

  1. a tool used by metalworkers for shaping their work by holding it on the work or the work on it and striking with a hammer or sledge
  2. to shape by or as if by means of a swage

swage block -n

  1. a perforated cast-iron or steel block with grooved sides that is used in heading bolts and swaging bars by hand

swag·ger ['swa-gər] -vb, n, adv

  1. to conduct oneself in an arrogant or superciliously pompous manner
  2. to walk with an air of overbearing self-confidence
  3. boast, brag
  4. to force by argument or threat : bully

swagger -n

  1. an act or instance of swaggering
  2. arrogant or conceitedly self-assured behavior
  3. ostentatious display or bravado
  4. a self-confident outlook : cockiness
  5. marked by elegance or showiness : posh

swagger stick -n

  1. a short light stick usu. covered with leather and tipped with metal at each end and intended for carrying in the hand (as by military officers)

swag·gie ['swa-gē] -n

  1. swagman

swag·man ['swag-mən] -n

  1. drifter
  2. one who carries a swag when traveling

Swa·hi·li [swä-'hē-lē] -n

  1. a member of a Bantu-speaking people of Zanzibar and the adjacent coast
  2. a Bantu language that is a trade and governmental language over much of East Africa and in the Congo region

swain ['swān] -n, adj

  1. rustic, peasant
  2. shepherd
  3. a male admirer or suitor

Swain·son's hawk ['swān(t)-sənz-] -n

  1. a buteo ( Buteo swainsonii) chiefly of western No. America and So. America having pointed wings and usu. a dark breast

SWAK -abbr

  1. sealed with a kiss

swale ['swāl] -n

  1. a low-lying or depressed and often wet stretch of land
  2. a shallow depression on a golf fairway or green

swal·low ['swä-(,)lō] -n

  1. any of numerous small widely distributed oscine birds (family Hirundinidae, the swallow family) that have a short bill, long pointed wings, and often a deeply forked tail and that feed on insects caught on the wing
  2. any of several birds that superficially resemble swallows

swallow ['swä-lō-ə-bəl] -vb, adj, n

  1. to take through the mouth and esophagus into the stomach
  2. to envelop or take in as if by swallowing : absorb
    • swallow the financial loss
    • watch night swallow the valley
  3. to accept without question, protest, or resentment
    • swallow an insult
    • a hard story to swallow
  4. take back, retract
    • had to swallow my words
  5. to keep from expressing or showing : repress
    • swallow ed my anger
  6. to utter (as words) indistinctly
  7. to receive something into the body through the mouth and esophagus
  8. to perform the action characteristic of swallowing something esp. under emotional stress
  9. the passage connecting the mouth to the stomach
  10. a capacity for swallowing
  11. an act of swallowing
  12. an amount that can be swallowed at one time

swal·low·tail ['swä-lō-,tāl, -lə-] -n, adj

  1. a deeply forked and tapering tail (as of a swallow)
  2. tailcoat
  3. any of various usu. large brightly marked butterflies (family Papilionidae, esp. genus Papilio) with each hind wing typically having an elongated process

swam ['swim] -vb, n

(variant of swim)

  1. to propel oneself in water by natural means (as movements of the limbs, fins, or tail)
  2. to play in the water (as at a beach or swimming pool)
  3. to move with a motion like that of swimming : glide
    • a cloud swam slowly across the moon
  4. to float on a liquid : not sink
  5. to surmount difficulties : not go under
    • sink or swim, live or die, survive or perish -- Daniel Webster
  6. to become immersed in or flooded with or as if with a liquid
    • potatoes swimming in gravy
  7. to have a floating or reeling appearance or sensation
  8. to cross by propelling oneself through water
    • swim a stream
  9. to execute in swimming
  10. to cause to swim or float
  11. a smooth gliding motion
  12. an act or period of swimming
  13. a temporary dizziness or unconsciousness
  14. an area frequented by fish
  15. the main current of activity
    • in the swim
  16. of, relating to, or used in or for swimming
    • a swim meet

swa·mi ['swä-mē] -n

  1. a Hindu ascetic or religious teacher
  2. a senior member of a religious order used as a title
  3. one that resembles or emulates a swami : pundit, seer

swamp ['swämp, 'swȯmp] -n, adj

  1. a wetland often partially or intermittently covered with water
  2. one dominated by woody vegetation
  3. a tract of swamp
  4. a difficult or troublesome situation or subject
  5. to fill with or as if with water : inundate, submerge
  6. to overwhelm numerically or by an excess of something : flood
    • swamp ed with work
  7. to open by removing underbrush and debris
  8. to become submerged

swamp buggy -n

  1. a vehicle designed to travel over swampy terrain
  2. a four-wheel motor vehicle with oversize tires

swamp·er ['swäm-pər, 'swȯm-] -n

  1. an inhabitant of swamps or lowlands
  2. one familiar with swampy terrain
  3. a general assistant : handyman, helper

swamp·land ['swämp-,land, 'swȯmp-] -n

  1. swamp

swampy ['swäm-pē, 'swȯm-] -adj, n

  1. consisting of, suggestive of, or resembling swamp : marshy

swan ['swän] -n

  1. any of various large heavy-bodied long-necked mostly pure white aquatic birds (family Anatidae, esp. genus Cygnus) that have webbed feet and are related to but larger than the geese
  2. one that resembles or is likened to a swan
  3. the constellation Cygnus
  4. to wander aimlessly or idly : dally
  5. declare, swear

swan boat -n

  1. a small paddleboat usu. for children or sightseers that is a large model of a swan

swan dive -n

  1. a front dive executed with the head back, back arched, and arms spread sideways and then brought together above the head to form a straight line with the body as the diver enters the water

swank -vi

  1. show off, swagger
  2. boast
  3. full of life or energy : active
  4. characterized by showy display : ostentatious
    • a swank limousine
  5. fashionably elegant : smart
    • a swank restaurant
  6. arrogance or ostentation of dress or manner : pretentiousness, swagger
  7. elegance, fashionableness

swan·nery ['swä-nə-rē, 'swän-rē] -n

  1. a place where swans are bred or kept

swans·down ['swänz-,dau̇n] -n

  1. the soft downy feathers of the swan often used as trimming on articles of dress
  2. a heavy cotton flannel that has a thick nap on the face and is made with sateen weave

swan·skin ['swän-,skin] -n

  1. the skin of a swan with the down or feathers on it
  2. fabric resembling flannel and having a soft nap or surface

swan song -n

  1. a song of great sweetness said to be sung by a dying swan
  2. a farewell appearance or final act or pronouncement

swap ['swäp] -vb, n

  1. to give in trade : barter
  2. exchange
  3. to take turns in telling
    • swap stories
  4. to make an exchange
  5. an act, instance, or process of exchanging one thing for another

swap meet -n

  1. a gathering for the sale or barter of usu. secondhand objects

swa·raj [swə-'räj] -n

  1. national or local self-government in India

sward ['swȯrd] -n, adj

  1. a portion of ground covered with grass
  2. the grassy surface of land

swarf ['swȯrf] -n

  1. material (as metallic particles and abrasive fragments) removed by a cutting or grinding tool

swarm ['swȯrm] -n

  1. a great number of honeybees emigrating together from a hive in company with a queen to start a new colony elsewhere
  2. a colony of honeybees settled in a hive
  3. a large number of animate or inanimate things massed together and usu. in motion : throng
    • swarm s of sightseers
    • a swarm of locusts
    • a swarm of meteors
  4. a number of similar geological features or phenomena close together in space or time
    • a swarm of dikes
    • an earthquake swarm
  5. to form and depart from a hive in a swarm
  6. to move or assemble in a crowd : throng
  7. to hover about in the manner of a bee in a swarm
  8. to contain a swarm : teem
    • swarm ing with bugs
  9. to fill with a swarm
  10. to beset or surround in a swarm
    • players swarm ing the quarterback
  11. to climb with the hands and feet
  12. shin
    • swarm up a pole
  13. to climb up : mount

swarm spore -n

  1. zoospore

swart ['swȯrt] -adj, n

  1. swarthy
  2. producing a swarthy complexion
  3. baneful, malignant

swar·thy ['swȯr-thē, -thē] -adj, n

  1. of a dark color, complexion, or cast

swash ['swäsh, 'swȯsh] -vb

  1. bluster, swagger
  2. to make violent noisy movements
  3. to move with a splashing sound
  4. to cause to splash
  5. swagger
  6. a narrow channel of water lying within a sandbank or between a sandbank and the shore
  7. a dashing of water against or on something
  8. the rush of water up a beach from a breaking wave
  9. an extended flourish on a printed character
  10. having one or more swashes
    • swash capitals

swash·buck·le ['swäsh-,bə-kəl, 'swȯsh-] -vi

  1. to act the part of a swashbuckler

swash·buck·ler [-,bə-klər] -n

  1. a swaggering or daring soldier or adventurer
  2. a novel or drama dealing with a swashbuckler

swash·buck·ling [-,bə-k(ə-)liŋ] -adj

  1. acting in the manner of a swashbuckler
  2. characteristic of, marked by, or done by swashbucklers

swash·er ['swä-shər, 'swȯ-] -n

  1. swashbuckler

swas·ti·ka ['swäs-ti-kə also swä-'stē-] -n

  1. a symbol or ornament in the form of a Greek cross with the ends of the arms extended at right angles all in the same rotary direction
  2. a swastika used as a symbol of anti-Semitism or of Nazism

swat ['swät] -vt

  1. to hit with a sharp slapping blow usu. with an instrument (as a bat or flyswatter)
    • swatted the ball for a home run
  2. a powerful or crushing blow
  3. a long hit in baseball
  4. home run

SWAT ['swät] -n

  1. a police or military unit specially trained and equipped to handle unusually hazardous situations or missions

swatch ['swäch] -n

  1. a sample piece (as of fabric) or a collection of samples
  2. a characteristic specimen
  3. patch
  4. a small collection
  5. swath

swath ['swäth, 'swȯth] -n

  1. a row of cut grain or grass left by a scythe or mowing machine
  2. the sweep of a scythe or a machine in mowing or the path cut in one course
  3. a long broad strip or belt
  4. a stroke of or as if of a scythe
  5. a space devastated as if by a scythe

swathe ['swäth, 'swȯth, 'swāth] -n

  1. a band used in swathing
  2. an enveloping medium
  3. to bind, wrap, or swaddle with or as if with a bandage
  4. envelop
    • a mountain swathed by clouds

swath·er ['swä-thər, -thər] -n

  1. a harvesting machine that cuts and windrows grain and seed crops
  2. a mower attachment that windrows the swath

swathing clothes -n pl

  1. swaddling clothes

swats ['swäts] -n pl

  1. drink
  2. new ale

swat·ter ['swä-tər] -n

  1. one that swats
  2. flyswatter

sway ['swā] -n

  1. the action or an instance of swaying or of being swayed : an oscillating, fluctuating, or sweeping motion
  2. an inclination or deflection caused by or as if by swaying
  3. a controlling influence
  4. sovereign power : dominion
  5. the ability to exercise influence or authority : dominance
  6. to swing slowly and rhythmically back and forth from a base or pivot
  7. to move gently from an upright to a leaning position
  8. to hold sway : act as ruler or governor
  9. to fluctuate or veer between one point, position, or opinion and another
  10. to cause to sway : set to swinging, rocking, or oscillating
  11. to cause to bend downward to one side
  12. to cause to turn aside : deflect, divert
  13. wield
  14. govern, rule
  15. to cause to vacillate
  16. to exert a guiding or controlling influence on
  17. to hoist in place
    • sway up a mast

sway·backed ['swā-,bakt] -adj, n

  1. having an abnormally hollow or sagging back
    • a swaybacked mare

sway bar -n

  1. a bar that torsionally couples the right and left front-wheel suspensions of an automobile to reduce roll and sway

Swa·zi ['swä-zē] -n

  1. a member of a Bantu people of southeastern Africa
  2. siswati

swear ['swer] -vb, n

  1. to utter or take solemnly (an oath)
  2. to assert as true or promise under oath
    • a sworn affidavit
    • swore to uphold the Constitution
  3. to assert or promise emphatically or earnestly
    • swore he'd study harder next time
  4. to put to an oath : administer an oath to
  5. to bind by an oath
    • swore them to secrecy
  6. to invoke the name of (a sacred being) in an oath
  7. to bring into a specified state by swearing
    • swore his life away
  8. to take an oath
  9. to use profane or obscene language : curse
  10. oath, swearword

swear in -vt

  1. to induct into office by administration of an oath

swear out -vt

  1. to procure (a warrant for arrest) by making a sworn accusation

swear·word ['swer-,wərd] -n

  1. a profane or obscene oath or word

sweat ['swet] -vb

  1. to excrete moisture in visible quantities through the openings of the sweat glands : perspire
  2. to labor or exert oneself so as to cause perspiration
  3. to emit or exude moisture
    • cheese sweat s in ripening
  4. to gather surface moisture in beads as a result of condensation
    • stones sweat at night
  5. ferment
  6. putrefy
  7. to undergo anxiety or mental or emotional distress
    • sweat through final exams
  8. to become exuded through pores or a porous surface : ooze
  9. to emit or seem to emit from pores : exude
  10. to manipulate or produce by hard work or drudgery
  11. to get rid of or lose (weight) by or as if by sweating or being sweated
  12. to make wet with perspiration
  13. to cause to excrete moisture from the skin
  14. to drive hard : overwork
  15. to exact work from at low wages and under unfair or unhealthful conditions
  16. to give the third degree to
  17. to cause to exude or lose moisture
  18. to subject (as tobacco leaves) to fermentation
  19. to extract something valuable from by unfair or dishonest means : fleece
  20. to remove particles of metal from (a coin) by abrasion
  21. to heat (as solder) so as to melt and cause to run esp. between surfaces to unite them
  22. to unite by such means
    • sweat a pipe joint
  23. to heat so as to extract an easily fusible constituent
    • sweat bismuth ore
  24. to saute in a covered vessel until natural juices are exuded
  25. to worry about
    • doesn't sweat the small stuff -- Barry McDermott
  26. hard work : drudgery
  27. the fluid excreted from the sweat glands of the skin : perspiration
  28. moisture issuing from or gathering in drops on a surface
  29. the condition of one sweating or sweated
  30. a spell of sweating
  31. a state of anxiety or impatience
  32. sweat suit
  33. sweatpants

sweat·band ['swet-,band] -n

  1. a usu. leather band lining the inner edge of a hat or cap to prevent sweat damage
  2. a band of material worn around the head or wrist to absorb sweat

sweat bee -n

  1. any of various small black or brownish bees (family Halictidae) that are attracted to perspiration

sweat·box [-,bäks] -n

  1. a place in which one is made to sweat
  2. a narrow box or cell in which a prisoner is placed for punishment
  3. a device for sweating something (as hides in tanning or dried figs)

sweat·ed ['swe-təd] -adj

  1. of, subjected to, or produced under sweatshop conditions
    • sweated labor
    • sweated goods

sweat equity -n

  1. equity in a property resulting from labor invested in improvements that increase its value
  2. the labor so invested

sweat·er ['swe-tər] -n

  1. one that sweats or causes sweating
  2. a knitted or crocheted jacket or pullover
  3. a heavy jersey worn in ice hockey

sweat·er·dress [-,dres] -n

  1. a knitted or crocheted dress

sweater girl -n

  1. a woman with a shapely bust

sweat·ervest ['swe-tər-,vest] -n

  1. a sleeveless pullover or buttoned sweater

sweat gland -n

  1. a simple tubular gland of the skin that excretes perspiration, is widely distributed in nearly all parts of the human skin, and consists typically of an epithelial tube extending spirally from a minute pore on the surface of the skin into the dermis or subcutaneous tissues where it ends in a convoluted tuft

sweat lodge -n

  1. a hut, lodge, or cavern heated by steam from water poured on hot stones and used esp. by American Indians for ritual or therapeutic sweating

sweat out -vt

  1. to work one's way painfully through or to
  2. to endure or wait through the course of

sweat·pants ['swet-,pan(t)s] -n pl

  1. pants having a drawstring or elastic waist and usu. elastic cuffs at the ankle that are worn esp. for exercise

sweat·shirt [-,shərt] -n

  1. a loose collarless pullover or jacket usu. of heavy cotton jersey

sweat·shop [-,shäp] -n

  1. a shop or factory in which employees work for long hours at low wages and under unhealthy conditions

sweat suit -n

  1. a suit worn usu. for exercise that consists of a sweatshirt and sweatpants

sweat test -n

  1. a test for cystic fibrosis that involves measuring the subject's sweat for abnormally high sodium chloride content

sweaty ['swe-tē] -adj, adv, n

  1. causing sweat
    • a sweaty day
    • sweaty work
  2. wet or stained with or smelling of sweat
    • sweaty socks

swede ['swēd] -n

  1. a native or inhabitant of Sweden
  2. a person of Swedish descent
  3. rutabaga

Swe·den·bor·gian [,swē-dᵊn-'bȯr-j(ē-)ən, -'bȯr-gē-ən] -adj, n

  1. of or relating to the teachings of Emanuel Swedenborg or the Church of the New Jerusalem based on his teachings

Swed·ish ['swē-dish] -n, adj

  1. the North Germanic language spoken in Sweden and a part of Finland
  2. the people of Sweden

Swedish massage -n

  1. massage involving a system of active and passive exercise of muscles and joints

sweep ['swēp] -vb

  1. to remove from a surface with or as if with a broom or brush
    • swept the crumbs from the table
  2. to destroy completely : wipe out usu. used with away
    • everything she cherished, might be swept away overnight -- Louis Bromfield
  3. to remove or take with a single continuous forceful action
    • swept the books off the desk
  4. to remove from sight or consideration
    • the problem can't be swept under the rug
  5. to drive or carry along with irresistible force
    • a wave of protest that swept the opposition into office
  6. to clean with or as if with a broom or brush
  7. to clear by repeated and forcible action
  8. to move across or along swiftly, violently, or overwhelmingly
    • fire swept the business district -- Amer. Guide Series: Md.
  9. to win an overwhelming victory in or on
    • sweep the elections
  10. to win all the games or contests of
    • sweep a double-header
    • sweep a series
  11. to touch in passing with a swift continuous movement
  12. to trace or describe the locus or extent of (as a line, circle, or angle)
  13. to cover the entire range of
    • his eyes swept the horizon
  14. to clean a surface with or as if with a broom
  15. to move swiftly, forcefully, or devastatingly
    • the wind swept through the treetops
  16. to go with stately or sweeping movements
    • proudly swept into the room
  17. to move or extend in a wide curve or range
  18. : something that sweeps or works with a sweeping motion: as
  19. a long pole or timber pivoted on a tall post and used to raise and lower a bucket in a well
  20. a triangular cultivator blade that cuts off weeds under the soil surface
  21. a windmill sail
  22. an instance of sweeping
  23. a clearing out or away with or as if with a broom
  24. the removal from the table in one play in casino of all the cards by pairing or combining
  25. an overwhelming victory
  26. a winning of all the contests or prizes in a competition
  27. a wide-ranging search of an area (as by police)
  28. a movement of great range and force
  29. a curving or circular course or line
  30. the compass of a sweeping movement : scope
  31. a broad unbroken area or extent
    • a sweep of wildflowers
  32. an end run in football in which one or more linemen pull back and run interference for the ballcarrier
  33. chimney sweep
  34. sweepstakes
  35. obliquity with respect to a reference line
    • sweep of an airplane wing
  36. sweepback
  37. a television ratings period during which surveys are taken to determine advertising rates

sweep·back ['swēp-,bak] -n

  1. the backward slant of an airplane wing in which the outer portion of the wing is downstream from the inner portion

sweep·er ['swē-pər] -n

  1. one that sweeps
  2. a lone back in soccer who plays between the line of the defenders and the goal

sweep hand -n

  1. sweep-second hand

sweeping -n

  1. the act or action of one that sweeps
    • gave the room a good sweeping
  2. things collected by sweeping : refuse
  3. moving or extending in a wide curve or over a wide area
  4. having a curving line or form
  5. extensive
    • sweeping reforms
  6. marked by wholesale and indiscriminate inclusion
    • sweeping generalities

sweepsec·ond hand ['swēp-,se-kənd-, -kənt-] -n

  1. a hand marking seconds on a timepiece mounted concentrically with the other hands and read from the same dial as the minute hand

sweep·stakes [-,stāks] -n pl but sing or pl in constr

  1. a race or contest in which the entire prize may be awarded to the winner
  2. stakes race
  3. contest, competition
  4. any of various lotteries

sweepy ['swē-pē] -adj

  1. sweeping in motion, line, or force

sweet ['swēt] -adj, adv, n

  1. pleasing to the taste
  2. being or inducing the one of the four basic taste sensations that is typically induced by disaccharides and is mediated esp. by receptors in taste buds at the front of the tongue
  3. containing a sweetening ingredient : not dry
  4. retaining a portion of natural sugar
  5. pleasing to the mind or feelings : agreeable, gratifying often used as a generalized term of approval
    • how sweet it is
  6. marked by gentle good humor or kindliness
    • a sweet disposition
  7. fragrant
    • a sweet aroma
  8. delicately pleasing to the ear or eye
    • a sweet melody
  9. played in a straightforward melodic style
    • sweet jazz
  10. saccharine, cloying
  11. very good or appealing
    • a sweet job offer
    • a sweet sports car
  12. much loved : dear
  13. not sour, rancid, decaying, or stale : wholesome
    • sweet milk
  14. not salt or salted : fresh
    • sweet water
    • sweet butter
  15. free from excessive acidity used esp. of soil
  16. free from noxious gases and odors
  17. free from excess of acid, sulfur, or corrosive salts
    • sweet crude oil
  18. skillful, proficient
    • a sweet golf swing
  19. used as an intensive
    • take your own sweet time
  20. in a sweet manner
  21. : something that is sweet to the taste: as
  22. a food (as a candy or preserve) having a high sugar content
    • fill up on sweet s
  23. dessert
  24. hard candy
  25. a sweet taste sensation
  26. a pleasant or gratifying experience, possession, or state
  27. darling, sweetheart
  28. fragrance
  29. things having a sweet smell

sweet alyssum -n

  1. a widely cultivated European herb ( Lobularia maritima) of the mustard family having narrow leaves and clusters of small fragrant usu. white or pink flowers

sweetandsour [,swē-tᵊn-'sau̇(-ə)r] -adj

  1. seasoned with a sauce containing sugar and vinegar or lemon juice
    • sweetandsour shrimp

sweet basil -n

  1. a basil ( Ocimum basilicum) with whitish or purple flowers that includes several cultivars (as bush basil)
  2. its dried or fresh leaves used esp. as a seasoning

sweet bay -n

  1. laurel
  2. a magnolia ( Magnolia virginiana) of the eastern U.S. that has fragrant white flowers and leaves with glaucous undersides

sweet birch -n

  1. a common aromatic birch ( Betula lenta) of eastern No. America that has shiny brown bark when young, hard dark-colored wood, and a volatile oil in its bark resembling wintergreen called also black birch

sweet·bread ['swēt-,bred] -n

  1. the thymus or pancreas of a young animal (as a calf) used for food

sweet·bri·ar [-,brī(-ə)r] -n

  1. an Old World rose (esp. Rosa eleganteria) with stout recurved prickles and white to deep rosy-pink single flowers called also eglantine

sweet cherry -n

  1. a white-flowered Eurasian cherry ( Prunus avium) widely grown for its large sweet-flavored fruits
  2. its fruit

sweet chocolate -n

  1. chocolate that contains added sugar

sweet cic·e·ly [-'si-s(ə-)lē] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Osmorhiza) of American and eastern Asian herbs of the carrot family that typically have thick fleshy roots and grow in moist woodlands

sweet clover -n

  1. any of a genus ( Melilotus) of Old World legumes that have trifoliolate leaves and are widely grown for soil improvement or hay

sweet corn -n

  1. an Indian corn (esp. Zea mays rugosa) with wrinkled translucent kernels that contain a high percentage of sugar

sweet·en ['swē-tᵊn] -vb, n

  1. to make sweet
  2. to soften the mood or attitude of
  3. to make less painful or trying
  4. to free from a harmful or undesirable quality or substance
  5. to remove sulfur compounds from
    • sweeten natural gas
  6. : to make more valuable or attractive
    • sweeten the deal
    : as
  7. to increase (a pot not won on the previous deal) by anteing prior to another deal
  8. to place additional securities as collateral for (a loan)
  9. to become sweet

sweetening -n

  1. something that sweetens

sweet fern -n

  1. a small No. American shrub ( Comptonia peregrina) of the wax-myrtle family with aromatic leaves

sweet flag -n

  1. a perennial marsh herb ( Acorus calamus) of the arum family with long narrow sword-shaped leaves and an aromatic rootstock called also calamus

sweet·grass ['swēt-,gras] -n

  1. a slender fragrant perennial grass ( Hierochloe odorata) that typically grows in moist soils and is used esp. in basketry

sweet gum -n

  1. a No. American tree ( Liquidambar styraciflua) of the witch-hazel family with palmately lobed glossy green leaves, corky twigs, a round spiny brown fruit cluster, and hard wood
  2. the smooth reddish-brown wood of the sweet gum

sweet·heart ['swēt-,härt] -n

  1. darling
  2. one who is loved
  3. a generally likable person
  4. a remarkable one of its kind

sweetheart -adj

  1. of or relating to an agreement between an employer and a labor union official arranged privately for their benefit usu. at the expense of the workers
    • a sweetheart contract
  2. arranged in private for the benefit of a few at the expense of many
    • a sweetheart deal

sweetheart neckline -n

  1. a neckline for women's clothing that is high in back and low in front where it is scalloped to resemble the top of a heart

sweet·ie ['swē-tē] -n

  1. sweet
  2. sweetheart

sweetie pie -n

  1. sweetheart

sweet·ing ['swē-tiŋ] -n

  1. sweetheart
  2. a sweet apple

sweet·ish [-tish] -adj, adv

  1. somewhat sweet
  2. unpleasantly sweet

sweet marjoram -n

  1. a perennial marjoram ( Origanum majoranasyn. Majorana hortensis) with dense spikelike flower clusters

sweet·meat ['swēt-,mēt] -n

  1. : a food rich in sugar: as
  2. a candied or crystallized fruit
  3. candy, confection

sweetness and light -n

  1. a harmonious combination of beauty and enlightenment viewed as a hallmark of culture
  2. amiable reasonableness of disposition
    • they were all sweetness and light
  3. an untroubled or harmonious state or condition
    • but all was not sweetness and light

sweet orange -n

  1. an orange ( Citrus sinensis) that is prob. native to southeastern Asia, has a fruit with a pithy central axis, and is the source of the widely cultivated oranges of commerce
  2. a cultivated orange derived from the sweet orange and usu. having fruit with a relatively thin rind and sweet juicy edible pulp
  3. the fruit of a sweet orange

sweet pea -n

  1. a widely cultivated Italian legume ( Lathyrus odoratus) having slender usu. climbing stems, ovate leaves, and large fragrant flowers
  2. the flower of a sweet pea

sweet pepper -n

  1. any of various large mild thick-walled capsicum fruits
  2. a pepper plant ( Capsicum annuum) bearing sweet peppers

sweet potato -n

  1. a tropical vine ( Ipomoea batatas) of the morning-glory family with variously shaped leaves and purplish flowers
  2. its large thick sweet and nutritious tuberous root that is cooked and eaten as a vegetable
  3. ocarina

sweet·shop ['swēt-,shäp] -n

  1. a candy store

sweet·sop [-,säp] -n

  1. sugar apple

sweet sorghum -n

  1. sorgo

sweet spot -n

  1. the area around the center of mass of a bat, racket, or head of a club that is the most effective part with which to hit a ball

sweettalk ['swēt-,tȯk] -vt

  1. cajole, coax
  2. to use flattery

sweet talk -n

  1. flattery

sweet tooth -n

  1. a craving or fondness for sweet food

sweet wil·liam [,swēt-'wil-yəm] -n

  1. a widely cultivated Old World pink ( Dianthus barbatus) with small white to deep red or purple flowers often showily spotted, banded, or mottled and borne in flat-topped cymes

sweet woodruff -n

  1. a small Eurasian and No. African sweet-scented herb ( Galium odoratumsyn. Asperula odorata) of the madder family that has small white flowers and is used esp. in perfumery and for flavoring wine

swell ['swel] -vb

  1. to expand (as in size, volume, or numbers) gradually beyond a normal or original limit
    • the population swell ed
  2. to become distended or puffed up
    • her ankle is badly swollen
  3. to form a bulge or rounded elevation
  4. to become filled with pride and arrogance
  5. to behave or speak in a pompous, blustering, or self-important manner
  6. to play the swell
  7. to become distended with emotion
  8. to affect with a powerful or expansive emotion
  9. to increase the size, number, or intensity of
    • swell the applicant pool
  10. a long often massive and crestless wave or succession of waves often continuing beyond or after its cause (as a gale)
  11. the condition of being protuberant
  12. a rounded elevation
  13. the act or process of swelling
  14. a gradual increase and decrease of the loudness of a musical sound
  15. a sign indicating a swell
  16. a device used in an organ for governing loudness
  17. an impressive, pompous, or fashionable air or display
  18. a person dressed in the height of fashion
  19. a person of high social position or outstanding competence
  20. stylish
  21. socially prominent
  22. excellent used as a generalized term of enthusiasm

swell box -n

  1. a chamber in an organ containing a set of pipes and having shutters that open or shut to regulate the volume of tone

swelled head ['sweld-,he-dəd] -n, adj

  1. an exaggerated opinion of oneself : self-conceit

swell·fish ['swel-,fish] -n

  1. puffer fish

swellfront ['swel-,frənt] -adj

  1. bowfront

swell·head [-,hed] -n, adj

  1. one who has a swelled head : a conceited person

swelling -n

  1. something that is swollen
  2. an abnormal bodily protuberance or localized enlargement
  3. the condition of being swollen

swel·ter ['swel-tər] -vb

  1. to suffer, sweat, or be faint from heat
  2. to become exceedingly hot
    • in summer, the place swelter s
  3. to oppress with heat
  4. exude
    • swelter ed venom -- Shak.

swelter -n

  1. a state of oppressive heat
  2. welter
  3. an excited or overwrought state of mind : sweat
    • in a swelter

sweltering -adj, adv

  1. oppressively hot
    • sweltering summer days

swept -adj

  1. slanted backward

sweptback ['swep(t)-'bak] -adj

  1. possessing sweepback

swerve ['swərv] -vb, n

  1. to turn aside abruptly from a straight line or course : deviate
  2. to cause to turn aside or deviate

swev·en ['swe-vən] -n

  1. dream, vision

swid·den ['swi-dᵊn] -n

  1. a temporary agricultural plot produced by cutting back and burning off vegetative cover

swift ['swift] -adj

  1. moving or capable of moving with great speed
    • a swift runner
  2. occurring suddenly or within a very short time
    • a swift transition
  3. quick to respond : ready
  4. swiftly
    • swift -flowing
  5. any of several lizards (esp. of the genus Sceloporus) that run swiftly
  6. a reel for winding yarn or thread
  7. any of numerous small plainly colored birds (family Apodidae) that are related to the hummingbirds but superficially much resemble swallows

swift fox -n

  1. a small fox ( Vulpes velox) with large ears that occurs on the plains of western No. America

swift·let ['swif(t)-lət] -n

  1. any of various cave-dwelling swifts (genus Collocaliasyn. Aerodramus) of Asia including one ( C. fuciphaga) that produces the nest used in bird's nest soup

swift·ly -adv

  1. in a swift manner : with speed : quickly

swift·ness ['swif(t)-nəs] -n

  1. the quality or state of being swift : celerity
  2. the fact of being swift

swig ['swig] -n

  1. a quantity drunk at one time
  2. to drink in long drafts
    • swig cider
  3. to take a swig : drink

swill ['swil] -vb, n

  1. wash, drench
  2. to drink great drafts of : guzzle
    • swill beer
  3. to feed (as a pig) with swill
  4. to drink or eat freely, greedily, or to excess
  5. swash
  6. something suggestive of slop or garbage : refuse
  7. a semiliquid food for animals (as swine) composed of edible refuse mixed with water or skimmed or sour milk
  8. garbage

swim ['swim] -vb, n

  1. to propel oneself in water by natural means (as movements of the limbs, fins, or tail)
  2. to play in the water (as at a beach or swimming pool)
  3. to move with a motion like that of swimming : glide
    • a cloud swam slowly across the moon
  4. to float on a liquid : not sink
  5. to surmount difficulties : not go under
    • sink or swim, live or die, survive or perish -- Daniel Webster
  6. to become immersed in or flooded with or as if with a liquid
    • potatoes swimming in gravy
  7. to have a floating or reeling appearance or sensation
  8. to cross by propelling oneself through water
    • swim a stream
  9. to execute in swimming
  10. to cause to swim or float
  11. a smooth gliding motion
  12. an act or period of swimming
  13. a temporary dizziness or unconsciousness
  14. an area frequented by fish
  15. the main current of activity
    • in the swim
  16. of, relating to, or used in or for swimming
    • a swim meet

swim bladder -n

  1. the air bladder of a fish

swim fin -n

  1. flipper

swim·ma·ble ['swi-mə-bəl] -adj

  1. that can be swum

swim·mer·et [,swi-mə-'ret, 'swi-mə-,] -n

  1. one of a series of small unspecialized appendages under the abdomen of many crustaceans that are best developed in some decapods (as a lobster) and usu. function in locomotion or reproduction

swimmer's ear -n

  1. inflammation of the canal in the outer ear that is characterized by itching, redness, swelling, pain, and discharge and that typically occurs when water trapped in the outer ear during swimming becomes infected usu. with a bacterium

swimmer's itch -n

  1. a severe urticarial reaction to the presence in the skin of larval schistosomes

swimming -adj

  1. that swims
    • a swimming bird
  2. adapted to or used in or for swimming
  3. the act, art, or sport of one that swims and dives

swim·ming·ly ['swi-miŋ-lē] -adv

  1. very well : splendidly
    • the event went swimmingly

swimming pool -n

  1. a pool suitable for swimming
  2. a tank (as of concrete or plastic) made for swimming

swim·my ['swi-mē] -adj, adv

  1. verging on, causing, or affected by dizziness or giddiness
  2. unsteady, blurred

swim·suit ['swim-,süt] -n

  1. a suit for swimming or bathing

swim·wear [-,wer] -n

  1. clothing suitable for wear while swimming or bathing

swin·dle ['swin-dᵊl] -vb, n

  1. to obtain money or property by fraud or deceit
  2. to take money or property from by fraud or deceit

swindle -n

  1. an act or instance of swindling : fraud

swine ['swīn] -n

  1. any of various stout-bodied short-legged omnivorous artiodactyl mammals (family Suidae) with a thick bristly skin and a long flexible snout
  2. a domesticated one descended from the wild boar
  3. a contemptible person

swine fever -n

  1. hog cholera
  2. an acute highly contagious usu. fatal disease of swine that is caused by a double-stranded DNA virus (species African swine fever virusof the genus Asfivirus,family Asfarviridae), that resembles but is more severe than hog cholera, and that is indigenous to Africa called also African swine fever

swine·herd [-,hərd] -n

  1. one who tends swine

swing ['swiŋ] -vb

  1. to cause to move vigorously through a wide arc or circle
    • swing an ax
  2. to cause to sway to and fro
  3. to cause to turn on an axis
  4. to cause to face or move in another direction
    • swing the car into a side road
  5. to suspend so as to permit swaying or turning
  6. to convey by suspension
    • cranes swing ing cargo into the ship's hold
  7. to influence decisively
    • swing a lot of votes
  8. to bring around by influence
  9. to handle successfully : manage
    • wasn't able to swing a new car on his income
    • swing a deal
  10. to play or sing (as a melody) in the style of swing music
  11. to move freely to and fro esp. in suspension from an overhead support
  12. to die by hanging
  13. to hang freely from a support
  14. : to move in or describe a circle or arc:
  15. to turn on a hinge or pivot
  16. to turn in place
  17. to convey oneself by grasping a fixed support
    • swing aboard the train
  18. to have a steady pulsing rhythm
  19. to play or sing with a lively compelling rhythm
  20. to play swing music
  21. to shift or fluctuate from one condition, form, position, or object of attention or favor to another
    • swing constantly from optimism to pessimism and back -- Sinclair Lewis
  22. to move along rhythmically
  23. to start up in a smooth vigorous manner
    • ready to swing into action
  24. to hit or aim at something with a sweeping arm movement
  25. to be lively, exciting, and up-to-date
  26. to engage freely in sex
  27. : an act or instance of swinging : swinging movement: as
  28. a stroke or blow delivered with a sweeping arm movement
    • a batter with a powerful swing
  29. a sweeping or rhythmic movement of the body or a bodily part
  30. a dance figure in which two dancers revolve with joined arms or hands
  31. jazz dancing in moderate tempo with a lilting syncopation
  32. the regular movement of a freely suspended object (as a pendulum) along an arc and back
  33. back and forth sweep
    • the swing of the tides
  34. steady pulsing rhythm (as in poetry or music)
  35. a steady vigorous movement characterizing an activity or creative work
  36. a trend toward a high or low point in a fluctuating cycle (as of business activity)
  37. an often periodic shift from one condition, form, position, or object of attention or favor to another
  38. liberty of action
  39. the driving power of something swung or hurled
  40. steady vigorous advance : driving speed
    • a train approaching at full swing
  41. the progression of an activity, process, or phase of existence
    • the work is in full swing
  42. the arc or range through which something swings
  43. something that swings freely from or on a support
  44. a seat suspended by a rope or chains for swinging to and fro on for pleasure
  45. a curving course or outline
  46. a course from and back to a point : a circular tour
  47. jazz that is played (as by a big band) with a steady beat and that uses the harmonic structures of popular songs and the blues as a basis for improvisations and arrangements
  48. a short pass in football thrown to a back running to the outside
  49. of or relating to musical swing
    • a swing band
    • swing music
    • swing dancing
  50. that may swing often decisively either way on an issue or in an election
    • swing voters
    • a swing state

swinge ['swinj] -vt

  1. beat, scourge
  2. singe, scorch

swinge·ing ['swin-jiŋ] -adj

  1. very large, high, or severe
    • swingeing fines
    • swingeing taxes

swingeing -adv

  1. very, superlatively

swing·er ['swiŋ-ər] -n

  1. : one that swings: as
  2. a person who is lively, exciting, and up-to-date
  3. one who engages freely in sex
  4. whopper

swing·ing ['swiŋ-iŋ] -adj

  1. being lively, exciting, and up-to-date
  2. abounding in swingers and swinging entertainment
    • a swinging coffeehouse

swing·ing·ly ['swin-jiŋ-lē] -adv

  1. very, extremely
  2. in a swinging manner : with a swinging movement

swin·gle·tree ['swiŋ-gəl-(,)trē] -n

  1. whiffletree

swing·man ['swiŋ-,man, -mən] -n

  1. a player capable of playing effectively in two different positions and esp. of playing both guard and forward on a basketball team

swing shift -n

  1. the work shift between the day and night shifts (as from 4 p.m.to midnight)
  2. a group of workers in a factory operating seven days a week that work as needed to permit the regular shift workers to have one or more free days per week

swingy ['swiŋ-ē] -adj

  1. marked by swing

swin·ish ['swī-nish] -adj, adv, n

  1. of, suggesting, or characteristic of swine : beastly

swink ['swiŋk] -vi

  1. toil, slave
  2. labor, drudgery

swipe ['swīp] -n

  1. a strong sweeping blow
    • a swipe of a paw
  2. a sharp often critical remark
    • took a parting swipe at management
  3. to strike or move with a sweeping motion
  4. to strike or wipe with a sweeping motion
  5. steal, pilfer
  6. to slide (a card with a magnetic strip or bar code) through a slot in a reading device so that information stored on the strip can be processed (as in making a purchase)

swipes ['swīps] -n pl

  1. poor, thin, or spoiled beer
  2. beer

swirl ['swər(-ə)l] -vb, adv

  1. to move with an eddying or whirling motion
    • swirl ing water
  2. to pass in whirling confusion
  3. to have a twist or convolution
  4. to cause to swirl
    • swirl ed her drink
  5. a whirling mass or motion : eddy
  6. whirling confusion
    • a swirl of events
  7. a twisting shape, mark, or pattern
  8. an act or instance of swirling

swirly ['swər-lē] -adj

  1. knotted, twisted
  2. that swirls : swirling
    • the swirly water of the rapids

swish ['swish] -vb, n, adv

  1. to move, pass, swing, or whirl with the sound of a swish
  2. to move, cut, or strike with a swish
    • the horse swish ed its tail
  3. to make (a basketball shot) so that the ball falls through the rim without touching it
    • swish ed a 3-point jumper
  4. a prolonged hissing sound (as of a whip cutting the air)
  5. a light sweeping or brushing sound
    • heard the swish of the horse's tail
  6. a swishing movement
  7. an effeminate homosexual
  8. smart, fashionable

swishy ['swi-shē] -adj

  1. producing a swishing sound
  2. characterized by effeminate behavior

Swiss ['swis] -n

  1. a native or inhabitant of Switzerland
  2. one that is of Swiss descent
  3. any of various fine sheer fabrics of cotton orig. made in Switzerland
  4. dotted swiss
  5. swiss cheese
  6. of, relating to, or characteristic of Switzerland or the Swiss

Swiss chard -n

  1. a beet ( Beta vulgaris cicla) having large leaves and succulent stalks often cooked as a vegetable called also chard

Swiss cheese -n

  1. a hard cheese characterized by elastic texture, mild nutlike flavor, and large holes that form during ripening

Swiss steak -n

  1. a slice of steak pounded with flour and braised usu. with vegetables and seasonings

switch ['swich] -n

  1. a slender flexible whip, rod, or twig
    • a riding switch
  2. : an act of switching: as
  3. a blow with a switch
  4. a shift from one to another
  5. a change from the usual
    • that outfit is a switch
  6. a tuft of long hairs at the end of the tail of an animal (as a cow)
  7. a device made usu. of two movable rails and necessary connections and designed to turn a locomotive or train from one track to another
  8. a device for making, breaking, or changing the connections in an electrical circuit
  9. a heavy strand of hair used in addition to a person's own hair for some coiffures
  10. to strike or beat with or as if with a switch
  11. whisk, lash
    • a cat switch ing its tail
  12. to turn from one railroad track to another : shunt
  13. to move (cars) to different positions on the same track within terminal areas
  14. to make a shift in or exchange of
    • switch seats
  15. to shift to another electrical circuit by means of a switch
  16. to operate an electrical switch so as to turn (as a device) on or off usu. used with on or off
  17. to change to or from an active state usu. used with on or off
    • switch ed on the gene
  18. to lash from side to side
  19. to make a shift or exchange

switch·back ['swich-,bak] -n, adj

  1. a zigzag road, trail, or section of railroad tracks for climbing a steep hill

switchback -vi

  1. to follow a zigzag course esp. for ascent or descent
    • a trail that switchback s

switch·blade [-,blād] -n

  1. a pocketknife having the blade spring-operated so that pressure on a release catch causes it to fly open called also switchblade knife

switch·board [-,bȯrd] -n

  1. an apparatus (as in a telephone exchange) consisting of a panel on which are mounted electric switches so arranged that a number of circuits may be connected, combined, and controlled

switch engine -n

  1. a railroad engine used in switching cars

switch·er·oo [,swi-chə-'rü] -n

  1. a surprising variation : reversal

switch·grass ['swich-,gras] -n

  1. a tall No. American panic grass ( Panicum virgatum) that is used for hay and forage

switchhit [-'hit] -vi

  1. to bat right-handed against a left-handed pitcher and left-handed against a right-handed pitcher in baseball

switchhit·ter [-'hi-tər] -n

  1. a baseball player who switch-hits
  2. bisexual
  3. one that is flexible or adaptable
  4. a person who can work equally well in either of two jobs or capacities

switch knife -n

  1. switchblade

switch·man ['swich-mən] -n

  1. one who attends a switch (as in a railroad yard)

switch·yard [-,yärd] -n

  1. a usu. enclosed area for the switching facilities of a power station

swith ['swith] -adv

  1. instantly, quickly

swith·er ['swi-thər] -vi, n

  1. doubt, waver

Switz -abbr

  1. Switzerland

Swit·zer ['swit-sər] -n

  1. swiss

swiv·el ['swi-vəl] -n

  1. a device joining two parts so that one or both can pivot freely (as on a bolt or pin)

swivel ['swi-və-liŋ, 'swiv-liŋ] -vb

  1. to turn on or as if on a swivel
    • swivel ed his eyes in various directions
  2. to swing or turn on or as if on a swivel

swivel chair -n

  1. a chair that swivels on its base

swiv·elhipped ['swi-vəl-,hipt] -adj

  1. moving with or characterized by movement with a twisting motion of the hips

swiv·et ['swi-vət] -n

  1. a state of extreme agitation
    • in a swivet

swiz·zle ['swi-zəl] -n

  1. an iced cocktail stirred with a swizzle stick

swizzle ['swi-zə-liŋ, 'swiz-liŋ] -vb, n

  1. to drink esp. to excess : guzzle
  2. to mix or stir with or as if with a swizzle stick

swizzle stick -n

  1. a stick used to stir mixed drinks

swob ['swäb] -n

(variant of swab)

  1. mop
  2. a yarn mop
  3. a wad of absorbent material usu. wound around one end of a small stick and used esp. for applying medication or for removing material from an area
  4. a specimen taken with a swab
  5. a sponge or cloth patch attached to a long handle and used to clean the bore of a firearm
  6. a useless or contemptible person
  7. sailor, gob
  8. to clean with or as if with a swab
  9. to apply medication to with a swab
    • swabbed the wound with iodine

swollen ['swel] -vb

(variant of swell)

  1. to expand (as in size, volume, or numbers) gradually beyond a normal or original limit
    • the population swell ed
  2. to become distended or puffed up
    • her ankle is badly swollen
  3. to form a bulge or rounded elevation
  4. to become filled with pride and arrogance
  5. to behave or speak in a pompous, blustering, or self-important manner
  6. to play the swell
  7. to become distended with emotion
  8. to affect with a powerful or expansive emotion
  9. to increase the size, number, or intensity of
    • swell the applicant pool
  10. a long often massive and crestless wave or succession of waves often continuing beyond or after its cause (as a gale)
  11. the condition of being protuberant
  12. a rounded elevation
  13. the act or process of swelling
  14. a gradual increase and decrease of the loudness of a musical sound
  15. a sign indicating a swell
  16. a device used in an organ for governing loudness
  17. an impressive, pompous, or fashionable air or display
  18. a person dressed in the height of fashion
  19. a person of high social position or outstanding competence
  20. stylish
  21. socially prominent
  22. excellent used as a generalized term of enthusiasm

swoon ['swün] -vi, n, adv

  1. faint
  2. to become enraptured
    • swoon ing with joy
  3. droop, fade
  4. a partial or total loss of consciousness
  5. a state of bewilderment or ecstasy : daze, rapture
  6. a state of suspended animation : torpor

swoop ['swüp] -vb, n

  1. to move with a sweep
  2. to gain or carry off in or as if in a swoop usu. used with up
  3. an act or instance of swooping
  4. a single concentrated and quickly effective effort
    • was done in one swoop
    often used with fell
    • solved everything at one fell swoop

swoop·stake ['swüp-,stāk] -adv

  1. in an indiscriminate manner

swoopy ['swü-pē] -adj

  1. having sweeping lines or movement
    • a swoopy silhouette

swoosh ['swüsh, 'swu̇sh] -vb

  1. to make or move with a rushing sound
    • a car swoosh ed by
  2. gush, swirl
  3. to discharge or transport with a rushing sound
  4. an act or instance of swooshing

swop ['swäp] -vb, n

(variant of swap)

  1. to give in trade : barter
  2. exchange
  3. to take turns in telling
    • swap stories
  4. to make an exchange
  5. an act, instance, or process of exchanging one thing for another

sword ['sȯrd] -n, adj

  1. a weapon (as a cutlass or rapier) with a long blade for cutting or thrusting that is often used as a symbol of honor or authority
  2. an agency or instrument of destruction or combat
  3. the use of force
    • the pen is mightier than the sword -- E. G. Bulwer-Lytton
  4. coercive power
  5. something that resembles a sword

sword cane -n

  1. a cane in which a sword blade is concealed

sword dance -n

  1. a dance performed by men in a circle holding a sword in the right hand and grasping the tip of a neighbor's sword in the left hand
  2. a dance performed over or around swords

sword fern -n

  1. : any of several ferns with long narrow more or less sword-shaped fronds: as
  2. a tropical fern ( Nephrolepis exaltata) from which the Boston fern has been developed
  3. a fern ( Polystichum munitum) of western No. America with a large fleshy rhizome

sword·fish ['sȯrd-,fish] -n

  1. a very large scombroid fish ( Xiphias gladiusof the family Xiphiidae) that has a long swordlike beak formed by the bones of the upper jaw and is an important food and game fish

sword grass -n

  1. any of various grasses or sedges having leaves with a sharp or toothed edge

sword knot -n

  1. an ornamental cord or tassel tied to the hilt of a sword

sword of Dam·o·cles [-'da-mə-,klēz]

  1. an impending disaster

sword·play ['sȯrd-,plā] -n

  1. the art or skill of wielding a sword esp. in fencing
  2. an exhibition of swordplay

swords·man ['sȯrdz-mən] -n

  1. one skilled in swordplay
  2. a saber fencer
  3. a soldier armed with a sword

swords·man·ship [-,ship] -n

  1. swordplay

sword·tail ['sȯrd-,tāl] -n

  1. a small brightly marked Central American live-bearer ( Xiphophorus helleriof the family Poeciliidae) often kept in tropical aquariums and bred in many colors

swore ['swer] -vb, n

(variant of swear)

  1. to utter or take solemnly (an oath)
  2. to assert as true or promise under oath
    • a sworn affidavit
    • swore to uphold the Constitution
  3. to assert or promise emphatically or earnestly
    • swore he'd study harder next time
  4. to put to an oath : administer an oath to
  5. to bind by an oath
    • swore them to secrecy
  6. to invoke the name of (a sacred being) in an oath
  7. to bring into a specified state by swearing
    • swore his life away
  8. to take an oath
  9. to use profane or obscene language : curse
  10. oath, swearword

sworn ['swer] -vb, n

(variant of swear)

  1. to utter or take solemnly (an oath)
  2. to assert as true or promise under oath
    • a sworn affidavit
    • swore to uphold the Constitution
  3. to assert or promise emphatically or earnestly
    • swore he'd study harder next time
  4. to put to an oath : administer an oath to
  5. to bind by an oath
    • swore them to secrecy
  6. to invoke the name of (a sacred being) in an oath
  7. to bring into a specified state by swearing
    • swore his life away
  8. to take an oath
  9. to use profane or obscene language : curse
  10. oath, swearword

swot ['swät] -n

  1. grind
  2. grind

swound ['swau̇nd, 'swünd] -n

  1. swoon
  2. swoon

swum ['swim] -vb, n

(variant of swim)

  1. to propel oneself in water by natural means (as movements of the limbs, fins, or tail)
  2. to play in the water (as at a beach or swimming pool)
  3. to move with a motion like that of swimming : glide
    • a cloud swam slowly across the moon
  4. to float on a liquid : not sink
  5. to surmount difficulties : not go under
    • sink or swim, live or die, survive or perish -- Daniel Webster
  6. to become immersed in or flooded with or as if with a liquid
    • potatoes swimming in gravy
  7. to have a floating or reeling appearance or sensation
  8. to cross by propelling oneself through water
    • swim a stream
  9. to execute in swimming
  10. to cause to swim or float
  11. a smooth gliding motion
  12. an act or period of swimming
  13. a temporary dizziness or unconsciousness
  14. an area frequented by fish
  15. the main current of activity
    • in the swim
  16. of, relating to, or used in or for swimming
    • a swim meet

swung ['swiŋ] -vb

(variant of swing)

  1. to cause to move vigorously through a wide arc or circle
    • swing an ax
  2. to cause to sway to and fro
  3. to cause to turn on an axis
  4. to cause to face or move in another direction
    • swing the car into a side road
  5. to suspend so as to permit swaying or turning
  6. to convey by suspension
    • cranes swing ing cargo into the ship's hold
  7. to influence decisively
    • swing a lot of votes
  8. to bring around by influence
  9. to handle successfully : manage
    • wasn't able to swing a new car on his income
    • swing a deal
  10. to play or sing (as a melody) in the style of swing music
  11. to move freely to and fro esp. in suspension from an overhead support
  12. to die by hanging
  13. to hang freely from a support
  14. : to move in or describe a circle or arc:
  15. to turn on a hinge or pivot
  16. to turn in place
  17. to convey oneself by grasping a fixed support
    • swing aboard the train
  18. to have a steady pulsing rhythm
  19. to play or sing with a lively compelling rhythm
  20. to play swing music
  21. to shift or fluctuate from one condition, form, position, or object of attention or favor to another
    • swing constantly from optimism to pessimism and back -- Sinclair Lewis
  22. to move along rhythmically
  23. to start up in a smooth vigorous manner
    • ready to swing into action
  24. to hit or aim at something with a sweeping arm movement
  25. to be lively, exciting, and up-to-date
  26. to engage freely in sex
  27. : an act or instance of swinging : swinging movement: as
  28. a stroke or blow delivered with a sweeping arm movement
    • a batter with a powerful swing
  29. a sweeping or rhythmic movement of the body or a bodily part
  30. a dance figure in which two dancers revolve with joined arms or hands
  31. jazz dancing in moderate tempo with a lilting syncopation
  32. the regular movement of a freely suspended object (as a pendulum) along an arc and back
  33. back and forth sweep
    • the swing of the tides
  34. steady pulsing rhythm (as in poetry or music)
  35. a steady vigorous movement characterizing an activity or creative work
  36. a trend toward a high or low point in a fluctuating cycle (as of business activity)
  37. an often periodic shift from one condition, form, position, or object of attention or favor to another
  38. liberty of action
  39. the driving power of something swung or hurled
  40. steady vigorous advance : driving speed
    • a train approaching at full swing
  41. the progression of an activity, process, or phase of existence
    • the work is in full swing
  42. the arc or range through which something swings
  43. something that swings freely from or on a support
  44. a seat suspended by a rope or chains for swinging to and fro on for pleasure
  45. a curving course or outline
  46. a course from and back to a point : a circular tour
  47. jazz that is played (as by a big band) with a steady beat and that uses the harmonic structures of popular songs and the blues as a basis for improvisations and arrangements
  48. a short pass in football thrown to a back running to the outside
  49. of or relating to musical swing
    • a swing band
    • swing music
    • swing dancing
  50. that may swing often decisively either way on an issue or in an election
    • swing voters
    • a swing state

swung dash -n

  1. a character swung dash used in printing to conserve space by representing part or all of a previously spelled-out word