Adjacent Words

Swab definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

SWAB, n. A mop for cleaning floors; on board of ships, a large mop or bunch or old rope yarn, used to clean the deck and cabin.
SWAB, v.t. [supra.] To clean with mop; to wipe when wet or after washing; as, to swab the deck of a ship.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: implement consisting of a small piece of cotton that is used to apply medication or cleanse a wound or obtain a specimen of a secretion
2: cleaning implement consisting of absorbent material fastened to a handle; for cleaning floors [syn: swab, swob, mop] v
1: wash with a swab or a mop; "swab the ship's decks" [syn: swab, swob]
2: apply (usually a liquid) to a surface; "dab the wall with paint" [syn: dab, swab, swob]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: probably from obsolete Dutch swabbe; akin to Low German swabber mop Date: 1653 1. a. mop; especially a yarn mop b. (1) a wad of absorbent material usually wound around one end of a small stick and used especially for applying medication or for removing material from an area (2) a specimen taken with a swab c. a sponge or cloth patch attached to a long handle and used to clean the bore of a firearm 2. a. a useless or contemptible person b. sailor, gob II. transitive verb (swabbed; swabbing) Etymology: back-formation from swabber Date: 1719 1. to clean with or as if with a swab 2. to apply medication to with a swab <swabbed the wound with iodine>

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. (also swob) --n. 1 a mop or other absorbent device for cleaning or mopping up. 2 a an absorbent pad used in surgery. b a specimen of a possibly morbid secretion taken with a swab for examination. 3 sl. a term of contempt for a person. --v.tr. (swabbed, swabbing) 1 clean with a swab. 2 (foll. by up) absorb (moisture) with a swab. Etymology: back-form. f. swabber f. early mod.Du. zwabber f. a Gmc base = 'splash, sway'

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Swab Swab, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Swabbed; p. pr. & vb. n. Swabbing.] [See Swabber, n.] To clean with a mop or swab; to wipe when very wet, as after washing; as, to swab the desk of a ship. [Spelt also swob.]

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Swab Swab, n. [Written also swob.] 1. A kind of mop for cleaning floors, the desks of vessels, etc., esp. one made of rope-yarns or threads. 2. A bit of sponge, cloth, or the like, fastened to a handle, for cleansing the mouth of a sick person, applying medicaments to deep-seated parts, etc. 3. (Naut.) An epaulet. [Sailor's Slang] --Marryat. 4. A cod, or pod, as of beans or pease. [Obs.] --Bailey. 5. A sponge, or other suitable substance, attached to a long rod or handle, for cleaning the bore of a firearm.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(swabs, swabbing, swabbed) 1. A swab is a small piece of cotton wool used by a doctor or nurse for cleaning a wound or putting a substance on it. N-COUNT 2. If you swab something, you clean it using a wet cloth or a tool called a mop. I noticed a lone man in the cafeteria swabbing the floor as I passed. VERB: V n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. Mop.

Moby Thesaurus

air-dry, anhydrate, bake, baptize, bath, bathe, blot, brush, burn, cure, dehumidify, dehydrate, desiccate, douche, drain, dry, evaporate, exsiccate, fire, flush, flush out, gargle, holystone, insolate, irrigate, kiln, lather, launder, lave, mop, mop up, mummify, parch, rinse, rinse out, ritually immerse, rub, scorch, scour, scrub, scrub up, sear, shampoo, shower, shrivel, sluice, sluice out, smoke, soak up, soap, sponge, sun, sun-dry, syringe, toivel, torrefy, towel, tub, wash, wash out, wash up, weazen, wipe, wither, wizen