fire swab

noun

A water-soaked swab for cooling a gun in action and clearing away particles of powder, etc.

Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

nounfire swab (plural fire swabs)

plural fire swabs

  1. A water-soaked swab for cooling a gun in action and clearing away particles of powder, etc.

    each warden should have ready for emergencies a sufficient supply of fire swabs or beaters, fire torches, and water carts

    1901, The Australasian Pastoralists' Review
Cite this entry
APA

fire swab. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fire%20swab

MLA

“fire swab.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fire%20swab. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “fire swab,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fire%20swab.

Source: fire swab on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.