swish

swish
swish (v.) 1756, probably imitative of the sound made by something brushing against or through something. The noun is from 1820; sense of "effeminate homosexual" is 1930s in homosexual slang, probably from notion of mincing motion.

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • Swish — may refer to: *Swish (Basketball), a widespread colloquial term for a perfect shot which goes through the basket without touching the rim or backboard. *Swish (slang), a term used to describe effeminate behaviour and interests in gay male… …   Wikipedia

  • swish — [swish] vi. [echoic] 1. to move with a sharp, hissing sound, as a cane swung through the air 2. to move with a light, brushing sound, as skirts in walking 3. Basketball to pass through the basket without hitting the hoop or backboard: said of a… …   English World dictionary

  • Swish — Swish, v. t. [From the sound. Cf. {Swash}.] 1. To flourish, so as to make the sound swish. Coleridge. [1913 Webster] 2. To flog; to lash. [Slang] Thackeray. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • swish — [ swıʃ ] verb 1. ) intransitive or transitive to move quickly with a smooth gentle sound, especially through the air, or make something do this: The horses stood in the field, swishing their tails. The curtains swished open. 2. ) transitive… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • swish|y — «SWIHSH ee», adjective, swish|i|er, swish|i|est. 1. characterized by a swishing sound or motion. 2. Slang. effeminate; homosexual …   Useful english dictionary

  • Swish — Swish, v. i. To dash; to swash. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Swish — Swish, n. 1. A sound of quick movement, as of something whirled through the air. [Colloq.] [1913 Webster] 2. (Naut.) Light driven spray. [Eng.] [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • SWiSH — est un logiciel propriétaire conçu pour créer des animations interactives destinées au Web. Les animations créées sont exportables en SWF (format Flash), AVI, GIF animés, PNG. Du code ActionScript 2 peut être introduit de manière assistée ou non… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • swish — [adj] fashionable, elegant classy, deluxe, exclusive, grand, in, plush, posh, ritzy*, smart, stylish, sumptuous, swank, swell, tony*, trendy, with it*; concept 589 Ant. inelegant, unfashionable, unstylish …   New thesaurus

  • swish — ► VERB ▪ move with a hissing or rushing sound. ► NOUN ▪ a swishing sound or movement. ► ADJECTIVE Brit. informal ▪ impressively smart and fashionable. ORIGIN imitative …   English terms dictionary

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