Dictionary
An American Dictionary of the English Language
Revised and enlarged (Goodrich & Porter)
Springfield, Mass. · G. & C. Merriam · 1865
- Entries
- 95,912
- Pages
- 1,538
- Illustrations
- 2,133
Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.
Swing'e'ing-ly, adv. p. 1340In a swingeing manner; vastly, hugely. [Vulgar.]Swing'el, n. p. 1340That part of a flail which falls on the grain in thrashing; swiple.Swing'er, n. p. 1340One who swings; one who hurls.Swing'gle, v. i. p. 1340To dangle; to wave hanging. Johnson. 2. To swing for pleasure.Swin'gle, v. t. p. 1340To clean, as flax, by beating it with a swingle, so as to separate the coarse parts and the woody substance from it. 2. To cut off the tops of, without pulling up the roots;—said of weeds. Forby. 3.…Swĭng'gle, n. p. 1340A wooden instrument like a large knife, about two feet long, with one thin edge, used for cleaning flax;—called also swingling-knife, swingling-staff, and swingling-wand.Swin'gle-tree, n. p. 1340A whiffle-tree or whipple-tree. See SINGLE-TREE.Swing'ling-tow, n. p. 1340The coarse part of flax, separated from the finer by swingling and hatcheling.Swing'-plow or Swing'-plough, n. p. 1340A plow without a fore wheel under the beam.Swing'-tree, n. p. 1340The bar of a carriage to which the traces are fastened; the whiffle-tree or whipple-tree; swingle-tree.Swing'-wheel, n. p. 1340The wheel, in a timepiece, which drives the pendulum.Swīn'ish, a. p. 1340Befitting swine; like swine; gross; hoggish; brutal; as, a swinish drunkard or sot. Swinish gluttony Ne'er looks to heaven amid this gorgeous feast, But with besotted, base ingratitude, Crams and…Swīn'ish-ly, adv. p. 1340In a swinish manner.Swin'ish-ness, n. p. 1340The state or quality of being swinish.Swĭnk, v. i. p. 1340To labor; to toil; to drudge; to slave. [Obs.] “For which men swink and sweat incessantly.” Spencer.Swĭnk, v. t. p. 1340To overlabor; to cause to toil or drudge. [Obs.]Swĭnk, n. p. 1340Labor; toil; drudgery. [Obs.] Spencer.Swink'er, n. p. 1340A laborer; a plowman. [Obs.]Swipe, n. p. 1340A swape or sweep. See SWEEP.Swipes, n. p. 1340Poor, weak beer;—often applied in Scotland to a kind of home-brewed beer. Halliwell. Craig.Swip'le, n. p. 1340That part of a flail which strikes the grain in thrashing; a swingle. [Written also swipel and swipple.]Swĭp'per, a. p. 1340Nimble; quick. [Obs.]Swirl, v. t. & i. p. 1340To whirl, or cause to whirl, in an eddy. The river swirled along, glassy no more, but dingy gray with autumn rains and rotting leaves. C. Kingsley.Swĭrl, n. p. 1340A whirling motion; an eddy, as of water, wind, or snow; a whirl; a gyration. “Fiery swirls of slime.” E. B. Browning. The silent swirl Of bats, that seem to follow in the air Some grand circumference…Swiss, n. p. 1340The language of Switzerland. 2. (sing. & pl.) (Geog.) A native or inhabitant of Switzerland; a Switzer; the people of Switzerland.Swiss, a. p. 1340(Geog.) Of, or pertaining to, Switzerland or its people.Switch, n. p. 1340A small, flexible twig or rod. On the medal, Mauritania leads a horse by a thread with one hand, and in the other holds a switch. Addison. 2. (Railways.) A movable part of two opposite rails, for…Swĭtch, v. t. p. 1340To strike with a small twig or rod; to beat; to lash. Chapman. 2. To trim, as a hedge. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell. 3. To turn from one railway track to another; to transfer by a switch;—generally with…Switch, v. i. p. 1340To walk with a jerk. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]Switch'el, n. p. 1340A beverage made of molasses and water.Switch'ing-ēn'/gĭne, n. p. 1340A locomotive for switching cars from one track to another, and making up trains. [U. S.]Switch'man, n. p. 1340One who tends a switch on a railway. Simmonds.Swithe, adv. p. 1340Instantly; quickly; speedily; rapidly. [Obs.]Switz'er, n. p. 1340(Geog.) A native or inhabitant of Switzerland; a Swiss.Swīve, v. t. p. 1340To shake; to agitate. 2. To copulate with, as a woman; to have sexual commerce with; to cover. Chaucer.Swiv'el, n. p. 1340(Mech.) A piece fixed to a similar piece, or to any body, by a pin, or otherwise, so as to revolve, or turn freely in any direction; a ring, link, or staple, that turns round on a pin or neck.…Swĭv'el, v. i. p. 1340To turn on a staple, pin, or pivot.Swiv'el-bridge, n. p. 1340A bridge that turns round on a vertical axis; a swing-bridge.Swĭv'el-ēy'ed, a. p. 1340Squint-eyed. [Prov. Eng.] Wright.Swĭv'el-hoōk, n. p. 1340A hook that turns in the end of an iron block-strap, for readily taking the turns out of a tackle.Swiz'zie, v. t. p. 1340To drink; to swill. Halliwell.Swīz'zle, n. p. 1340Ale and beer mixed. [Prov. Eng.]Swŏb, n. p. 1340The same as SWAB. See SWAB.Swōb, v. t. p. 1340The same as SWAB. See SWAB.Swŏb'ber, n. p. 1340The same as SWABBER, q. v. 2. (pl.) Four privileged cards, only used incidentally in betting at the game of whist. Swift.Swōllen or Swōln, p. p. p. 1340of swell; — irregular and obsolescent.Swŏm, imp. p. 1340of swim. [Obs.] See SWIM.Swōōn, v. i. p. 1340To sink into a fainting fit, in which there is an apparent suspension of the vital functions and mental powers; to faint. The most in years swooned first away for pain. Dryden. He seemed ready to…Swōon, n. p. 1340A fainting fit; syncope.Swōōn'ing-ly, adv. p. 1340In a swooning manner.Swōōp, v. t. p. 1340To fall on at once and seize; to catch while on the wing; as, a hawk swoops a chicken; a kite swoops up a mouse. 2. To seize; to catch up; to take with a sweep. The physician looks with another eye…Swŏŏp, v. i. p. 1340To pass with pomp; to sweep. [Obs.] Drayton. 2. To descend with closed wings from a height upon prey, as a hawk; to stoop.Swŏŏp, n. p. 1340A falling on and seizing, as of a rapacious fowl on his prey. The eagle fell, . . . and carried away a whole litter of cubs at a swoop. L’Estrange.Swŏp, v. t. p. 1340The same as SWAP. See SWAP.Swōrd, n. p. 1340An offensive weapon, having a long, strong, and usually sharp-pointed blade, either straight and sharp upon both edges, for thrusting, or somewhat curved, and sharp on the convex edge, for cutting at…Swōrd'-ärm, n. p. 1340The right arm.Swōrd'-bāy'o-net, n. p. 1340A bayonet shaped somewhat like a sword, and which can be used as a sword.Swōrd'-beâr'er, n. p. 1340An officer in the city of London, who carries a sword as an emblem of justice before the lord mayor when he goes abroad.Swōrd'-bĕlt, n. p. 1340A belt by which a sword is suspended and borne by the side.Swōrd'-blāde, n. p. 1340The blade or cutting part of a sword.