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Swaddler

A term of contempt for an Irish Methodist.

Swag

A swaying, irregular motion.

Swage

To shape by means of a swage; to fashion, as a piece of iron, by forcing it into a groove or mold having the required shape.

Swaggerer

One who swaggers; a blusterer; a bully; a boastful, noisy fellow.

Swaggy

Inclined to swag; sinking, hanging, or leaning by its weight.

Swagman

A bushman carrying a swag and traveling on foot; -- called also swagsman, swagger, and swaggie.

Swainish

Pertaining to, or resembling, a swain; rustic; ignorant.

Swainmote

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.

Swaip

To walk proudly; to sweep along.

Swale

A gutter in a candle.

Swallet

Water breaking in upon the miners at their work; -- so called among tin miners.

Swallow-tailed

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.

Swallowfish

The European sapphirine gurnard (Trigla hirundo). It has large pectoral fins.

Swallowtail

A kind of tenon or tongue used in making joints. See Dovetail.

Swallowwort

See Celandine. A poisonous plant (Vincetoxicum officinale) of the Milkweed family, at one time used in medicine; -- also called white swallowwort.

Swamp

To sink or stick in a swamp; figuratively, to become involved in insuperable difficulties.

Swampy

Consisting of swamp; like a swamp; low, wet, and spongy; as, swampy land.

Swan

Any one of numerous species of large aquatic birds belonging to Cygnus, Olor, and allied genera of the subfamily Cygninae. 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.

Swan-upping

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.

Swanherd

One who tends or marks swans; as, the royal swanherd of England.

Swanmark

A mark of ownership cut on the bill or swan.

Swanny

Swanlike; as, a swanny glossiness of the neck.

Swanpan

The Chinese abacus; a schwanpan.

Swanskin

The act of a swan with the down or the feathers on.

Sward

To produce sward upon; to cover, or be covered, with sward.

Swardy

Covered with sward or grass.

Swarf

The grit worn away from grindstones in grinding cutlery wet.

Swarmspore

One of innumerable minute, motile, reproductive bodies, produced asexually by certain algae and fungi; a zoospore.

Swart

To make swart or tawny; as, to swart a living part.

Swartback

The black-backed gull (Larus marinus); -- called also swarbie.

Swarthily

In a swarthy manner; with a tawny hue; duskily.

Swarthiness

The quality or state of being swarthy; a dusky or dark complexion; tawniness.

Swartness

The quality or state of being swart.

Swash

Impulse of water flowing with violence; a dashing or splashing of water.

Swashbuckler

A bully or braggadocio; a swaggering, boastful fellow; a swaggerer.

Swasher

One who makes a blustering show of valor or force of arms.

Swashy

Soft, like fruit that is too ripe; quashy; swash.

Swastica Swastika

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 M/ller 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

a former state in Northwest India, now a part of Pakistan. It was ruled by a prince called a Wali.

Swat team SWAT team

a special group of police trained to deal with unusually dangerous or violent situations, and having special weapons, such as rifles more powerful than those carried by regular police officers. They are employed, for example, in situations when hostages are being held, or heavily armed persons need to be captured. Called also SWAT or S.W.A.T..

Swath

A line of grass or grain cut and thrown together by the scythe in mowing or cradling.

Swathe

A bandage; a band; a swath.

Swather

A device attached to a mowing machine for raising the uncut fallen grain and marking the limit of the swath.

Sway

The act of swaying; a swaying motion; the swing or sweep of a weapon.

Sway-backed

Having the back hollow or sagged, whether naturally or as the result of injury or weakness; -- said of horses and other animals.

Sway-bracing

The horizontal bracing of a bridge, which prevents its swaying.

Swayed

Bent down, and hollow in the back; sway-backed; -- said of a horse.

Swaying

An injury caused by violent strains or by overloading; -- said of the backs of horses.

Sweal

To singe; to scorch; to swale; as, to sweal a pig by singeing off the hair.

Swear

To utter or affirm with a solemn appeal to God for the truth of the declaration; to make (a promise, threat, or resolve) under oath.

Swearer

One who swears; one who calls God to witness for the truth of his declaration.

Sweat

The fluid which is excreted from the skin of an animal; the fluid secreted by the sudoriferous glands; a transparent, colorless, acid liquid with a peculiar odor, containing some fatty acids and mineral matter; perspiration. See Perspiration.

Sweaty

Moist with sweat; as, a sweaty skin; a sweaty garment.

Swede

A native or inhabitant of Sweden.

Sweeny

An atrophy of the muscles of the shoulder in horses; also, atrophy of any muscle in horses.

Sweep

The act of sweeping.

Sweepage

The crop of hay got in a meadow.

Sweeper

One who, or that which, sweeps, or cleans by sweeping; a sweep; as, a carpet sweeper.

Sweeping

Cleaning off surfaces, or cleaning away dust, dirt, or litter, as a broom does; moving with swiftness and force; carrying everything before it; including in its scope many persons or things; as, a sweeping flood; a sweeping majority; a sweeping accusation.

Sweepings

Things collected by sweeping; rubbish; as, the sweepings of a street.

Sweepstakes

A winning of all the stakes or prizes; a sweepstake.

Sweepwasher

One who extracts the residuum of precious metals from the sweepings, potsherds, etc., of refineries of gold and silver, or places where these metals are used.

Sweepy

Moving with a sweeping motion.

Sweet-breasted

Having a sweet, musical voice, as the nightingale. Cf. Breast, n., 6.

Sweet-sop

A kind of custard apple (Anona squamosa). See under Custard.

Sweetbread

Either the thymus gland or the pancreas, the former being called neck sweetbread or throat sweetbread, the latter belly sweetbread. The sweetbreads of ruminants, esp. of the calf, are highly esteemed as food. See Pancreas, and Thymus.

Sweetbrier

A kind of rose (Rosa rubiginosa) with minutely glandular and fragrant foliage. The small-flowered sweetbrier is Rosa micrantha.

Sweetener

One who, or that which, sweetens; one who palliates; that which moderates acrimony.

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