swab

Meanings

Noun

• A small piece of soft, absorbent material, such as gauze, used to clean wounds, apply medicine, or take samples of body fluids. Often attached to a stick or wire to aid access.
• A sample taken with a swab .
• A piece of material used for cleaning or sampling other items like musical instruments or guns.
• A mop, especially on a ship.
• A sailor; a swabby.
• A naval officer's epaulet.

Verb

• To use a swab on something, or clean something with a swab.

Related

Similar words

• swabby

Origin

• Mid 17th century (in the sense 'mop for cleaning the decks'): back-formation from Middle English swabber, from Middle Dutch zwabber, from a Germanic base meaning 'splash' or 'sway', also found as nautical German Schwabber and Volga German Schwabber, a general term for cleaning tissues.