swab

swab

also swob  (swŏb)

n.

1.

a. A small piece of absorbent material attached to the end of a stick or wire and used for cleansing a surface, applying medicine, or collecting a sample of a substance.

b. A sample collected with a swab.

2. A sponge or patch of absorbent material used to clean the bore of a firearm or cannon.

3. A mop used for cleaning floors or decks.

4. Slang A sailor.

5. Slang A lout.

tr.v. swabbed, swab·bing, swabs also swobbed or swob·bing or swobs

1. To use a swab on.

2. To clean with a swab.

3. To collect a sample from (a person, for example) using a swab.

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[Back-formation from swabber, mop for a ship's deck (from obsolete Dutch *zwabber, from zwabben, to mop) or from obsolete Dutch swabbe, mop (from Middle Dutch).]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

swab

(swɒb)

n

1. (Medicine) med

a. a small piece of cotton, gauze, etc, for use in applying medication, cleansing a wound, or obtaining a specimen of a secretion, etc

b. the specimen so obtained

2. (Tools) a mop for cleaning floors, decks, etc

3. (Firearms, Gunnery, Ordnance & Artillery) a brush used to clean a firearm's bore

4. slang an uncouth or worthless fellow

vb, swabs, swabbing or swabbed

5. (Medicine) (tr) to clean or medicate with or as if with a swab

6. (foll by: up) to take up with a swab

[C16: probably from Middle Dutch swabbe mop; related to Norwegian svabba to splash, Dutch zwabberen to mop, German schwappen to slop over]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

swab

or swob

(swɒb)

n., v. swabbed, swab•bing. n.

1. a large mop used on shipboard for cleaning decks, living quarters, etc.

2. a bit of cotton, sponge, or the like, often fixed to a stick, for applying medicaments, cleansing the mouth, etc.

3. material collected with a swab as a specimen.

4. a wad of absorbent material for cleaning the bore of a firearm.

5. Slang. a sailor; swabby.

6. Slang. a clumsy oaf.

v.t.

7. to clean with or as if with a swab.

8. to take up or apply (moisture, etc.) with or as if with a swab.

[1645–55; < swabber]

Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

swab

- As in "mop the decks," it is a back-formation from swabber, "sailor who mops the decks," from a Germanic base meaning "splash."

See also related terms for splash.

Farlex Trivia Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.

swab

Past participle: swabbed
Gerund: swabbing

Imperative

swab

swab

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	swab - implement consisting of a small piece of cotton that is used to apply medication or cleanse a wound or obtain a specimen of a secretion implement - instrumentation (a piece of equipment or tool) used to effect an end
	2.	swab - cleaning implement consisting of absorbent material fastened to a handle; for cleaning floors mop, swob cleaning device, cleaning equipment, cleaning implement - any of a large class of implements used for cleaning dry mop, dust mop, dustmop - a dry swab for dusting floors mop handle - the handle of a mop sponge mop - a wet mop with a sponge as the absorbent
Verb	1.	swab - wash with a swab or a mop; "swab the ship's decks" swob mop, mop up, wipe up - to wash or wipe with or as if with a mop; "Mop the hallway now"; "He mopped her forehead with a towel"
	2.	swab - apply (usually a liquid) to a surface; "dab the wall with paint" dab, swob apply, put on - apply to a surface; "She applied paint to the back of the house"; "Put on make-up!"

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

Translations

campionepulire con lo straccioradazzarestrofinacciotampone

swab

[swɒb]

A. N

1. (= cloth, mop) → estropajo m, trapo m

2. (Naut) → lampazo m

3. (Med) (for cleaning wound) → algodón m, tampón m; (for specimen) → frotis m

B. VT

1. (Naut) (also swab down) → limpiar, fregar

2. (Med) [+ wound] → limpiar (con algodón)

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

swab

[ˈswɒb]

n

(MEDICINE) (= cotton wool) → tampon m

(MEDICINE) (= sample) → prélèvement m

vt

(also swab down) [+ deck, floor] → nettoyer

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

swab

n

(Med) → Tupfer m; (= specimen) → Abstrich m; to take a swab → einen Abstrich machen

(Naut) → Mop m

vt

(Med) wound etc → (ab)tupfen

(Naut: also swab down) → wischen

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

swab

[swɒb]

1. n (Med) (for cleaning wound, for specimen) → tampone m

2. vt (Naut) (also swab down) → redazzare

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

swab

n. escobillón;

vt. limpiar, fregar.

English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012

swab

n hisopo or bastoncillo de algodón, palillo con punta de algodón; vt frotar con hisopo (para aplicar antiséptico, tomar una muestra, etc.)

English-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.