3 PHRASAL VERB If a person or thing is swallowed up by something, they disappear into it so that you cannot see them any more. □ [be V -ed P ] He headed back towards the flea market and was quickly swallowed up in the crowd. □ [V P n] Weeds had swallowed up the garden. [Also V n P ]
swam /swæ m/ Swam is the past tense of swim .
swamp /swɒ mp/ (swamps , swamping , swamped )
1 N‑VAR A swamp is an area of very wet land with wild plants growing in it.
2 VERB If something swamps a place or object, it fills it with water. □ [V n] A rogue wave swamped the boat.
3 VERB [usu passive] If you are swamped by things or people, you have more of them than you can deal with. □ [be V -ed] He is swamped with work.
swamp|land /swɒ mplænd/ (swamplands ) N‑VAR Swampland is an area of land that is always very wet.
swampy /swɒ mpi/ (swampier , swampiest ) ADJ A swampy area of land is always very wet.
swan /swɒ n/ (swans , swanning , swanned )
1 N‑COUNT A swan is a large bird with a very long neck. Swans live on rivers and lakes and are usually white.
2 VERB If you describe someone as swanning around or swanning off , you mean that they go and have fun, rather than working or taking care of their responsibilities. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ [V prep/adv] She spends her time swanning around the world.
swank /swæ ŋk/ (swanks , swanking , swanked ) VERB If someone is swanking , they are speaking about things they own or things they have achieved, in order to impress other people. [mainly BRIT , INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ [V + about ] I have always been against swanking about all the things I have been lucky enough to win. [Also V ]
swanky /swæ ŋki/ (swankier , swankiest ) ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you describe something as swanky , you mean that it is fashionable and expensive. [INFORMAL ] □ …one of the swanky hotels that line the Pacific shore at Acapulco.
swa n song also swan-song N‑SING Someone's swan song is the last time that they do something for which they are famous, for example the last time that an actor gives a performance in the theatre. □ I competed in the Commonwealth Games in Christchurch, which was my swan song.
swap /swɒ p/ (swaps , swapping , swapped ) also swop
1 VERB If you swap something with someone, you give it to them and receive a different thing in exchange. □ [V n] Next week they will swap places and will repeat the switch weekly. □ [V n + with ] I'd gladly swap places with mummy any day. □ [V n + for/with ] I know a sculptor who swaps her pieces for drawings by a well-known artist. □ [be V -ed + for/with ] Some hostages were swapped for convicted prisoners. ● N‑COUNT [oft n N ] Swap is also a noun. □ If she ever fancies a job swap, I could be interested.
2 VERB If you swap one thing for another, you remove the first thing and replace it with the second, or you stop doing the first thing and start doing the second. □ [V n + for ] Despite the heat, he'd swapped his overalls for a suit and tie. □ [V n] Both sides swapped their goalies in the 30th minute.
swarm /swɔː r m/ (swarms , swarming , swarmed )
1 N‑COUNT [with sing or pl verb] A swarm of bees or other insects is a large group of them flying together.
2 VERB When bees or other insects swarm , they move or fly in a large group. □ [V prep/adv] A dark cloud of bees comes swarming out of the hive. [Also V ]
3 VERB When people swarm somewhere, they move there quickly in a large group. □ [V prep/adv] People swarmed to the shops, buying up everything in sight. [Also V n]
4 N‑COUNT [with sing or pl verb] A swarm of people is a large group of them moving about quickly. □ Today at the crossing there were swarms of tourists taking photographs.
5 VERB [usu cont] If a place is swarming with people, it is full of people moving about in a busy way. □ [V + with ] Within minutes the area was swarming with officers who began searching a nearby wood.
swarthy /swɔː r ði/ ADJ A swarthy person has a dark face. □ He had a broad swarthy face.
swash|buck|ling /swɒ ʃbʌkl I ŋ/ ADJ If you describe someone or something as swashbuckling , you mean that they are connected with adventure and excitement. □ …a swashbuckling adventure story.
swas|ti|ka /swɒ st I kə/ (swastikas ) N‑COUNT A swastika is a symbol in the shape of a cross with each arm bent over at right angles. It is used in India as a good luck sign, but it was also used by the Nazis in Germany as their official symbol.
swat /swɒ t/ (swats , swatting , swatted ) VERB If you swat something such as an insect, you hit it with a quick, swinging movement, using your hand or a flat object. □ [V n] Hundreds of flies buzz around us, and the workman keeps swatting them.
swathe /swe I ð, [AM ] swɑː ð/ (swathes , swathing , swathed ) The noun is also spelled swath . 1 N‑COUNT A swathe of land is a long strip of land. □ Year by year great swathes of this small nation's countryside disappear.