swim
- swim
{{11}}swim (n.) 1540s, "the clear part of any liquid" (above the sediment), from SWIM (Cf. swim) (v.). Meaning "part of a river or stream frequented by fish" (and hence fishermen) is from 1828, and is probably the source of the figurative meaning "the current of the latest affairs or events" (1869).
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swim (
v.)
O.E. swimman "
to move in or on the water, float" (class III strong verb; past tense
swamm,
pp. swummen), from
P.Gmc. *swemjanan (
Cf. O.S.,
O.H.G. swimman,
O.N. svimma,
Du. zwemmen,
Ger. schwimmen), from
PIE root *swem- "
to be in motion," sometimes said to be restricted to Germanic, but possible cognates are Welsh
chwyf "
motion,"
O.Ir. do-sennaim "
I hunt,"
Lith. sundyti "
to chase." For the usual IE word, see
NATATORIUM (
Cf. natatorium). Sense of "
reel or move unsteadily" first recorded 1670s; of the head or brain, from 1702. Figurative phrase
sink or swim is attested from mid-15c., often with reference to ordeals of suspected witches.
Etymology dictionary.
2014.
Synonyms:
Look at other dictionaries:
swim — swim; swim·mable; swim·mer; swim·mer·et; swim·mi·ly; swim·mi·ness; swim·ming·ly; swim·my; swim·ming; swim·mer·ette; … English syllables
swim — swim1 [swim] vi. swam, swum, swimming [ME swimmen < OE swimman, akin to Ger schwimmen < IE base * swem , to move vigorously, be in motion > Welsh chwyfio, to move] 1. to move through water by movements of the arms and legs, or of… … English World dictionary
Swim ~ — is a record label started in 1993 by Colin Newman of Wire and his life working partner Malka Spigel of Minimal Compact.OverviewThe first releases on the label were of their own projects conceived in swim studio these included Oracle with ex… … Wikipedia
Swim — Swim, v. i. [imp. {Swam}or {Swum}; p. p. {Swum}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Swimming}.] [AS. swimman; akin to D. zwemmen, OHG. swimman, G. schwimmen, Icel. svimma, Dan. sw[ o]mme, Sw. simma. Cf. {Sound} an air bladder, a strait.] 1. To be supported by… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Swim — Swim, v. t. 1. To pass or move over or on by swimming; as, to swim a stream. [1913 Webster] Sometimes he thought to swim the stormy main. Dryden. [1913 Webster] 2. To cause or compel to swim; to make to float; as, to swim a horse across a river.… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Swim — «Swim» Canción de Madonna álbum de estudio Ray of Light Publicación Marzo de 1998 Grabación … Wikipedia Español
Swim — Swim, n. 1. The act of swimming; a gliding motion, like that of one swimming. B. Jonson. [1913 Webster] 2. The sound, or air bladder, of a fish. [1913 Webster] 3. A part of a stream much frequented by fish. [Eng.] [1913 Webster] {Swim bladder},… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
swim — ► VERB (swimming; past swam; past part. swum) 1) propel oneself through water by bodily movement. 2) be immersed in or covered with liquid. 3) experience a dizzily confusing sensation. ► NOUN 1) an act or peri … English terms dictionary
Swim — Swim, v. i. [OE. swime dizziness, vertigo, AS. sw[=i]ma; akin to D. zwijm, Icel. svimi dizziness, svina to subside, sv[=i]a to abate, G. schwindel dizziness, schwinden to disappear, to dwindle, OHG. sw[=i]nan to dwindle. Cf. {Squemish},… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Swim — bezeichnet einen Partytanz SWIM ist die Abkürzung für System Wide Information Management Diese Seite ist eine Begriffsklärung zur Unterscheidung mehrerer mit demselben Wort bezeichneter Begriffe … Deutsch Wikipedia
swim — [v] make way through water using arms, legs bathe, breast stroke, crawl, dive, dogpaddle, float, freestyle, glide, go for a swim, go swimming, go wading, high dive, move, paddle, practice, race, skinny dip*, slip, stroke, submerge, take a dip,… … New thesaurus