3 N‑UNCOUNT Swill is a liquid mixture containing waste food that is given to pigs to eat.
swim ◆◇◇ /sw I m/ (swims , swimming , swam , swum )
1 VERB When you swim , you move through water by making movements with your arms and legs. □ [V ] She learned to swim when she was really tiny. □ [V ] I went round to Jonathan's to see if he wanted to go swimming. □ [V adv/prep] He was rescued only when an exhausted friend swam ashore. □ [V amount/n] I swim a mile a day. ● N‑SING Swim is also a noun. □ When can we go for a swim, Mam?
2 VERB If you swim a race, you take part in a swimming race. □ [V n] She swam the 200 metres semi-finals and came second. [Also V ]
3 VERB If you swim a stretch of water, you keep swimming until you have crossed it. □ [V n] In 1875, Captain Matthew Webb became the first man to swim the English Channel.
4 VERB When a fish swims , it moves through water by moving its body. □ [V adv/prep] The barriers are lethal to fish trying to swim upstream. [Also V ]
5 VERB If objects swim , they seem to be moving backwards and forwards, usually because you are ill. □ [V ] Alexis suddenly could take no more: he felt too hot, he couldn't breathe, the room swam.
6 VERB If your head is swimming , you feel unsteady and slightly ill. □ [V ] The musty aroma of incense made her head swim.
7 sink or swim → see sink
swim|mer /sw I mə r / (swimmers ) N‑COUNT A swimmer is a person who swims, especially for sport or pleasure, or a person who is swimming. □ You don't have to worry about me. I'm a good swimmer.
swim|ming /sw I m I ŋ/ N‑UNCOUNT Swimming is the activity of swimming, especially as a sport or for pleasure. □ …swimming lessons.
swi m|ming bath (swimming baths )
1 N‑COUNT A swimming baths or swimming bath is a building that contains an indoor public swimming pool. The plural swimming baths can be used to refer to one or more than one of these places. [BRIT ] □ It had been two years since I had been to the swimming baths. in AM, use pool , swimming pool 2 N‑COUNT A swimming bath is a public swimming pool, especially an indoor one. [BRIT ] in AM, use pool , swimming pool
swi m|ming cap (swimming caps ) N‑COUNT A swimming cap is a rubber cap which you wear to keep your hair dry when you are swimming. [BRIT ] in AM, use bathing cap
swi m|ming cos|tume (swimming costumes ) N‑COUNT A swimming costume is the same as a swimsuit . [BRIT ]
swim|ming|ly /sw I m I ŋli/ PHRASE If you say that something is going swimmingly , you mean that everything is happening in a satisfactory way, without any problems. [INFORMAL ] □ The work has been going swimmingly.
swi m|ming pool (swimming pools ) N‑COUNT A swimming pool is a large hole in the ground that has been made and filled with water so that people can swim in it.
swi m|ming trunks N‑PLURAL [oft a pair of N ] Swimming trunks are the shorts that a man wears when he goes swimming. [BRIT ] in AM, use trunks
swim|suit /sw I msuːt/ (swimsuits ) N‑COUNT A swimsuit is a piece of clothing that is worn for swimming, especially by women and girls.
swim|wear /sw I mweə r / N‑UNCOUNT Swimwear is the things people wear for swimming.
swin|dle /sw I nd ə l/ (swindles , swindling , swindled ) VERB If someone swindles a person or an organization, they deceive them in order to get something valuable from them, especially money. □ [V n + out of ] A City businessman swindled investors out of millions of pounds. ● N‑COUNT Swindle is also a noun. □ He was jailed for running a £4.5 million international investment swindle.
swine /swa I n/ (swines ) The form swines is used as the plural for meaning 1 ; swine is used as both the singular and plural for meaning 2 . 1 N‑COUNT If you call someone a swine , you dislike them or think that they are a bad person, usually because they have behaved unpleasantly towards you. [INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ]
2 N‑COUNT A swine is a pig. [TECHNICAL , OLD-FASHIONED ] □ …imports of live swine from Canada.
swing ◆◇◇ /sw I ŋ/ (swings , swinging , swung )
1 VERB If something swings or if you swing it, it moves repeatedly backwards and forwards or from side to side from a fixed point. □ [V adv/prep] The sail of the little boat swung crazily from one side to the other. □ [V n] She was swinging a bag containing a new dress. □ [V -ing] Ian sat on the end of the table, one leg swinging. ● N‑COUNT Swing is also a noun. □ …a woman walking with a slight swing to her hips.
2 VERB If something swings in a particular direction or if you swing it in that direction, it moves in that direction with a smooth, curving movement. □ [V prep/adv] The torchlight swung across the little beach and out over the water, searching. □ [V prep/adv] The canoe found the current and swung around. □ [V n prep/adv] Roy swung his legs carefully off the couch and sat up. ● N‑COUNT Swing is also a noun. □ When he's not on the tennis court, you'll find him practising his golf swing.
3 VERB If a vehicle swings in a particular direction, or if the driver swings it in a particular direction, they turn suddenly in that direction. □ [V adv/prep] Joanna swung back on to the main approach and headed for the airport. □ [V n prep/adv] The tyres dug into the grit as he swung the car off the road.