Swipe, swīp, n. a hard blow.—v.t. to give a strong blow to: to steal by snatching.—n. Swī′per, one who swipes. [A.S. swipe, a whip.]
Swipes, swīps, n. bad or spoilt beer, also small-beer.—adj. Swī′pey, fuddled with malt liquor.
Swire, swīr, n. a hollow between two hills. [Prob. A.S. swéora, the neck.]
Swirl, swėrl, v.i. to sweep along with a whirling motion.—n. whirling motion, as of wind or water: a curl or twist: the rush of a fish through the water in rising to a fly.—adj. Swirl′y. [Skeat explains as Scand., Norw. svirla, to whirl round, a freq. of sverra, to whirl, orig. to hum.]
Swish, swish, v.t. to cause to move or to cut with a whistling sound: to flog, thrash.—n. a swishing sound.—adv. in a swishing manner or with such a sound.—ns. Swish′er, one who swishes or flogs; Swish′-swash, a swishing action or sound: a washy drink. [Imit.]
Swiss, swis, adj. of or belonging to Switzerland.—n. a native of Switzerland: the language of Switzerland: a High German patois, spoken in fifteen of the cantons.—n. Swit′zer, a native of Switzerland: one of a hired bodyguard of a king or pope.—Swiss Guards, a celebrated corps or regiment of Swiss mercenaries in the French army of the old régime, constituted 'Gardes' by royal decree in 1616.
Swissing, swis′ing, n. the calendering of bleached cloth, after dampening, by passing between bowls or pairs of rollers.
Switch, swich, n. a small flexible twig: a movable rail for transferring a carriage from one line of rails to another: a device to make or break a circuit, or transfer an electric current from one conductor to another.—v.t. to strike with a switch: to swing, whisk: to transfer a carriage from one line of rails to another by a switch: to shift from one circuit to another, or in or out of circuit, as an electric current, to shunt.—ns. Switch′back, a term applied to a zigzagging, alternate back-and-forward mode of progression up a slope; Switch′back-rail′way, an apparatus for public amusement, consisting of a short length of elevated railway with a series of rounded inclines, so that the car gains enough of momentum descending the first steep incline to ascend one or more smaller inclines till it gradually and more slowly works its way to the original level at the far end of the course; Switch′ing, a beating with a switch: trimming; Switch′man, a pointsman. [Old Dut. swick, a whip.]
Switchel, swich′el, n. treacle-beer, molasses and water, &c.
Swith, swith, adv. (obs.) quickly: away! begone!