swab
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swab¹
- /swɒb/
Rhymes with -ɒb
Where it comes from
Mid 17th century (in the sense 'mop for cleaning the decks'): back-formation from Middle English swabber (“sailor detailed to swab decks”), from Middle Dutch zwabber, from a Germanic base meaning 'splash' or 'sway', also found as nautical German Schwabber and Volga German Schwabber ("scrubber, mop, swab")
noun swabs
- A small piece of soft, absorbent material, such as gauze, used to clean wounds, apply medicine, or take samples of body fluids. Often attached to a stick or wire to aid access.
- A sample taken with a swab (piece of absorbent material).
- A piece of material used for cleaning or sampling other items like musical instruments or guns.
- A mop, especially on a ship.
-
A junior sailor; a swabby.
As for that swab, he's good and dead, he is.
Similar: swabby
- A low or contemptible person. [H]e had a row with Lenehan and called him to Stephen a mean bloody swab with a sprinkling of other uncalledfor expressions.
- A naval officer's epaulet.
verb swabs · swabbing · swabbed
- To use a swab on something, or clean something with a swab. swab the deck of a ship
Swab²
proper noun Swabs
- A surname.
Translations
Every language
noun a small piece of soft, absorbent material
| Español | hisopo (Arg., Mex., Ur. y Ven.) |
|---|---|
| Français | écouvillon |
| Deutsch | Tupfer |
| Italiano | tampone |
Talk about this word "swab." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/swab. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. swab. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/swab "swab." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/swab.Cite this
@misc{swab_2026,
title = {swab},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/swab},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
