swirl /swɜː r l/ (swirls , swirling , swirled ) VERB If you swirl something liquid or flowing, or if it swirls , it moves round and round quickly. □ [V n] She smiled, swirling the drink in her glass. □ [V prep/adv] The black water swirled around his legs, reaching almost to his knees. □ [V n prep] She swirled the ice-cold liquid around her mouth. □ [V -ing] …Carmen with her swirling gypsy skirts. [Also V n with adv, V ] ● N‑COUNT Swirl is also a noun. □ [+ of ] …small swirls of chocolate cream. □ [+ of ] The helicopter landed in a swirl of dust.
swish /sw I ʃ/ (swishes , swishing , swished , swisher , swishest )
1 VERB If something swishes or if you swish it, it moves quickly through the air, making a soft sound. □ [V adv/prep] A car swished by heading for the coast. □ [V n prep/adv] He swished his cape around his shoulders. □ [V -ing] He heard a swishing sound. ● N‑COUNT Swish is also a noun. □ [+ of ] She turned with a swish of her skirt.
2 ADJ If you describe something as swish , you mean that it is smart and fashionable. [BRIT , INFORMAL , OLD-FASHIONED ] □ …a swish cocktail bar.
Swiss /sw I s/ (Swiss )
1 ADJ Swiss means belonging or relating to Switzerland, or to its people or culture.
2 N‑COUNT [usu pl] The Swiss are the people of Switzerland.
Swi ss chee se (Swiss cheeses ) N‑VAR Swiss cheese is hard cheese with holes in it.
swi ss ro ll (swiss rolls ) also swiss-roll N‑VAR A swiss roll is a cylindrical cake made from a thin flat sponge which is covered with jam or cream on one side, then rolled up. [BRIT ] in AM, use jelly roll
switch ◆◇◇ /sw I tʃ/ (switches , switching , switched )
1 N‑COUNT A switch is a small control for an electrical device which you use to turn the device on or off. □ Leona put some detergent into the dishwasher, shut the door and pressed the switch. □ …a light switch.
2 VERB If you switch to something different, for example to a different system, task, or subject of conversation, you change to it from what you were doing or saying before. □ [V + to ] Estonia is switching to a market economy. □ [V from n to n] The law would encourage companies to switch from coal to cleaner fuels. □ [V n] The encouragement of a friend spurred Chris into switching jobs. [Also V ] ● N‑COUNT Switch is also a noun. □ New technology made a switch to oil possible. □ The spokesman implicitly condemned the government's policy switch. ● PHRASAL VERB Switch over means the same as switch . □ [V P + to ] …a professional man who started out in law but switched over to medicine. [Also V P ]
3 VERB If you switch your attention from one thing to another or if your attention switches , you stop paying attention to the first thing and start paying attention to the second. □ [V + to ] My mother's interest had switched to my health. □ [V n + to ] As the era wore on, she switched her attention to films.
4 VERB If you switch two things, you replace one with the other. □ [V n] In half an hour, they'd switched the tags on every cable. □ [be V -ed] The ballot boxes have been switched.
▸ switch off
1 PHRASAL VERB If you switch off a light or other electrical device, you stop it working by operating a switch. □ [V P n] She switched off the coffee-machine. □ [V n P ] Glass parked the car and switched the engine off. [Also V P ]
2 PHRASAL VERB If you switch off , you stop paying attention or stop thinking or worrying about something. [INFORMAL ] □ [V P ] You may find you've got so many things to think about that it's difficult to switch off.
▸ switch on PHRASAL VERB If you switch on a light or other electrical device, you make it start working by operating a switch. □ [V P n] She emptied both their mugs and switched on the electric kettle. □ [V n P ] He pointed the light at his feet and tried to switch it on. [Also V P ]
▸ switch over
1 PHRASAL VERB If you switch over when you are watching television, you change to another channel. □ [V P ] I just happened to switch over although I haven't been watching the tennis. □ [V P + to ] Let's switch over to Channel 4.
2 → see switch 2 SYNONYMS switch VERB 4
exchange: We exchanged addresses and Christmas cards.
trade: Kids used to trade baseball cards.
swap: Next week they will swap places and will repeat the switch weekly.
switch|back /sw I tʃbæk/ (switchbacks )
1 N‑COUNT [oft N n] A switchback is a road which rises and falls sharply many times, or a sharp rise and fall in a road. [BRIT ] □ …a dizzy bus ride over a switchback road.
2 N‑COUNT A switchback is a road which goes up a steep hill in a series of sharp bends, or a sharp bend in a road. [AM ]
switch|blade /sw I tʃble I d/ (switchblades ) N‑COUNT A switchblade is a knife with a blade that is hidden in the handle and that springs out when a button is pressed. [AM ] in BRIT, use flick-knife