swab (redirected from swobbing)

swab also swob  (swb)

n.

1.

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

b. A specimen of mucus or other material removed 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 also swobbed, swab·bing also swob·bing, swabs also swobs

1. To use a swab on.

2. To clean with a swab.

3. To take a specimen from (a person) 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).]

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

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

4. Slang an uncouth or worthless fellow

vb swabs, swabbing, swabbed

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

2. (tr; foll by up) to take up with a swab

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

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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.

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!"

Translations

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)

swab [ˈswɒb]

n

(MEDICINE) (= cotton wool) → tampon m

(MEDICINE) (= sample) → prélèvement m

vt

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

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

swab [swɒb]

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

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