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SWAIN DEFINITIONS - 11 definitions found
SWAIN was my What's The Word? choice for Thursday, Dec 4, 2008
swain n 1: a man who is the lover of a girl or young woman; "if I'd known he was her boyfriend I wouldn't have asked" [syn: boyfriend, fellow, beau, swain, young man] swain siwan Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 11th Edition (2003) swain noun Etymology: Middle English swein boy, servant, from Old Norse sveinn; akin to Old English swān swain, Latin suus one's own — more at suicide Date: 14th century 1. rustic, peasant; specifically shepherd 2. a male admirer or suitor • swainish adjective • swainishness noun Oxford English Reference Dictionary
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner\'s English Dictionary swain (swains) A swain is a young man who is in love. (OLD-FASHIONED) N-COUNT English Explanatory Dictionary swain sweɪn n. 1 archaic a country youth. 2 poet. a young lover or suitor. [ME swein f. ON sveinn lad = OE swan swineherd, f. Gmc] Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) Swain \Swain\, n. [OE. swain, swein, Icel. sveinn a boy, servant; akin to Sw. sven, Dan. svend, AS. sw[=a]n, OHG. swein.] 1. A servant. [Obs.] Him behoves serve himself that has no swain. --Chaucer. 2. A young man dwelling in the country; a rustic; esp., a cuntry gallant or lover; -- chiefly in poetry. It were a happy life To be no better than a homely swain. --Shak. Blest swains! whose nymphs in every grace excel. --Pope. Swain, NY Zip code(s): 14884 Soule\'s Dictionary of English Synonyms swain n. 1. Rustic, hind, peasant, countryman, clown. 2. Country gallant, rustic lover, wooer, suitor, adorer, inamorato, amoroso. Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 44 Moby Thesaurus words for "swain": Casanova, Don Juan, Lothario, Romeo, amoroso, beau, bodyguard, boyfriend, caballero, cavalier, cavaliere servente, chaperon, companion, conductor, convoy, duenna, escort, esquire, fellow, fellow traveler, flame, gallant, gentleman friend, gigolo, guard, inamorato, lady-killer, love-maker, man, necker, old man, petter, philanderer, safe-conduct, seducer, sheik, shepherd, spark, sparker, squire, sugar daddy, usher, wooer, young man |
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