Swinck, swingk, v.i. (Spens.). Same as Swink.
Swindge, swindj, v.t. (Milt.). Same as Swinge (1).
Swindle, swin′dl, v.t. to cheat under the pretence of fair dealing.—n. the act of swindling or defrauding: anything not really what it appears to be.—adj. Swin′dleable, capable of being swindled.—ns. Swin′dler, one who defrauds by imposition: a cheat or rogue; Swin′dlery, roguery, swindling practices.—adj. Swin′dling, cheating. [Ger. schwindler, a cheat—schwindeln, to be giddy, schwindenempty, to sink; A.S. swindan, to droop.]
Swine, swīn, n.sing. and pl. a well-known quadruped with bristly skin and long snout, fed for its flesh: a pig: pigs collectively.—ns. Swine′herd, a herd or keeper of swine; Swine′-pox, chicken-pox; Swin′ery, a place where pigs are kept; Swine's′-snout, the dandelion; Swine′-stone (same as Stink-stone); Swine′-sty, a pig-sty. [A.S. swín, a pig; Ger. schwein, L. sus, Gr. hys.]
Swing, swing, v.i. to sway or wave to and fro, as a body hanging in air: to move forward with swaying gait: to vibrate: to practise swinging: to turn round at anchor: to be hanged.—v.t. to move to and fro: to cause to wave or vibrate: to whirl, to brandish: to cause to wheel or turn as about some point: to fix up anything so as to hang freely:—pa.t. and pa.p. swung.—n. the act of swinging: motion to and fro: a waving motion: anything suspended for swinging in: the sweep or compass of a swinging body: the sweep of a golf-club when driving: influence or power of anything put in motion: free course, unrestrained liberty.—ns. Swing′-back, a device for adjusting the plate-holder of a camera at any desired angle; Swing′boat, a boat-shaped carriage swung from a frame, in use for swinging in at fairs, &c.; Swing′-bridge, a bridge that may be moved aside by swinging, at the mouth of docks, &c.; Swing′-churn, a churn-box so hung as to be worked by oscillation; Swing′er; Swing′-han′dle, a pivoted handle of any utensil, esp. a bail or other arched handle; Swing′ing, the act of moving back and forth, esp. the pastime of moving in a swing.—adj. having a free easy motion.—n. Swing′ing-boom, the spar which stretches the foot of a lower studding-sail.—adv. Swing′ingly, in a swinging-manner.—ns. Swing′ing-post, the post to which a gate is hung; Swing′ism, a form of intimidation common in England about 1830-33, which consisted mainly in sending letters signed 'Swing' or 'Captain Swing' to farmers, ordering them under threats to give up threshing-machines, &c.; Swing′-mō′tion, a mechanism in the truck of a railway carriage, &c., permitting swaying from side to side; Swing′-pan, a sugar-pan with spout, pivoted so that it may be emptied by tipping; Swing′-plough, a plough without a fore-wheel under the beam; Swing′-shelf, a hanging shelf; Swing′-stock, an upright timber, with a blunt edge at top over which flax was beaten by the swingle—also Swing′ing-block; Swing′-swang, a complete oscillation.—adj. swinging, drawling.—ns. Swing′-tā′ble, a moveable bed on which plate-glass is cemented for polishing; Swing′-tool, a holder swinging on horizontal centres, on which work is fastened so as to hold flat against the face of a file; Swing′-tree=Swingle-tree (q.v.); Swing′-trot, a swinging trot; Swing′-wheel, the wheel that drives a clock pendulum, corresponding to the balance-wheel in a watch. [A.S. swingan; Ger. schwingen, to swing; allied to wag, sway.]
Swinge, swinj, v.t. to beat, chastise: to forge, weld together: to wave to and fro.—n. a lash, a lashing movement.—n. Swinge′-buck′ler (Shak.), one who pretends to feats of arms, a blusterer.—adj. Swinge′ing, great, huge.—adv. Swinge′ingly.—n. Swinger (swinj′ėr), any person or thing great or astonishing, a bold lie, a whopper. [A.S. swengan, to shake, a causal form of swingan, to swing.]
Swinge, swinj, v.t. (Spens.). Same as Singe.
Swingle, swing′gl, v.t. to dress or separate the fibrous parts of flax from the woody substance by beating.—n. an implement for this purpose.—ns. Swing′le, the part of the flail which falls on the grain in threshing; Swing′le-tree, Sing′le-tree, the cross-piece of a carriage, plough, &c. to which the traces of a harnessed horse are fixed. [Swing.]
Swinish, swī′nish, adj. like or befitting swine: gross: brutal.—adv. Swin′ishly.—n. Swin′ishness.
Swink, swingk, v.i. (Spens.) to labour, to toil, to drudge.—v.t. to tire out with labour.—n. labour.—adj. Swink′ed (Milt.), wearied with labour, fatigued. [A.S. swincan, to labour; cf. swingan, swing.]