Meanings
swab1
plural swabs
- A sample taken with a swab (piece of absorbent material).
- A piece of material used for cleaning or sampling other items like musical instruments or guns.
- slangA low or contemptible person.
[H]e had a row with Lenehan and called him to Stephen a mean bloody swab with a sprinkling of other uncalledfor expressions.
1922 February 2, James Joyce, “[Episode 16: Eumaeus]”, in Ulysses, Paris: Shakespeare and Company […], →OCLC, part III [Nostos], page 572
present singular third person swabs · participle present swabbing · participle past swabbed · past swabbed
- transitiveTo use a swab on something, or clean something with a swab.
swab the deck of a ship
1 more example
He had one hand on the bounce bottle—and he'd never let go of that since he got back to the table—but he had a handkerchief in the other and was swabbing his deadlights with it.
1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter VI, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y.; London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC
Swab2
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA junior sailor; a swabby.
More synonyms by meaning
nouncleaning implement consisting of absorbent material fastened to a handle; for cleaning floors
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Middle Dutchzwabber
- Middle Englishswabber“sailor detailed to swab decks”
- Englishswab
Mid 17th century (in the sense 'mop for cleaning the decks'): back-formation from Middle English swabber (“sailor detailed to swab decks”), from Middle Dutch zwabber, from a Germanic base meaning 'splash' or 'sway', also found as nautical German Schwabber and Volga German Schwabber ("scrubber, mop, swab")
More words from Middle English, Middle Dutch
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian тампон, моп
- тампон (tampon)a small piece of soft, absorbent material
- моп (mop)A mop, especially on a ship
- матрос (matros)A sailor
- бърша с моп (bărša s mop)To use a swab on something, or clean something with a swab
Catalan escovilló, escovilló
- escovillóa small piece of soft, absorbent material
- escovillóA piece of material used for cleaning or sampling other items like musical instruments or guns
Dutch watje, prop, uitstrijkje
- watje, propa small piece of soft, absorbent material
- uitstrijkjeA sample taken with a swab
- poetsvod,doekjeA piece of material used for cleaning or sampling other items like musical instruments or guns
- zwabberA mop, especially on a ship
- koopvaardijmatroosA sailor
- zwabberen, dweilenTo use a swab on something, or clean something with a swab
French écouvillon
- écouvillona small piece of soft, absorbent material
German Tupfer, Abstrich
- Tupfera small piece of soft, absorbent material
- AbstrichA sample taken with a swab
- LäppchenA piece of material used for cleaning or sampling other items like musical instruments or guns
- TupferA piece of material used for cleaning or sampling other items like musical instruments or guns
- WischmoppA mop, especially on a ship
- SeemannA sailor
- MatroseA sailor
- putzenTo use a swab on something, or clean something with a swab
- abputzenTo use a swab on something, or clean something with a swab
- wischenTo use a swab on something, or clean something with a swab
- abwischenTo use a swab on something, or clean something with a swab
Hungarian rongy, törlőrongy
- rongyA piece of material used for cleaning or sampling other items like musical instruments or guns
- törlőrongyA piece of material used for cleaning or sampling other items like musical instruments or guns
- tengerészA sailor
Irish maipín, maipíneacht
- maipína small piece of soft, absorbent material
- maipíneachtA sample taken with a swab
- ceirtA piece of material used for cleaning or sampling other items like musical instruments or guns
Italian tampone, tampone
- tamponea small piece of soft, absorbent material
- tamponeA sample taken with a swab
- pannoA piece of material used for cleaning or sampling other items like musical instruments or guns
- straccioA piece of material used for cleaning or sampling other items like musical instruments or guns
Latin turunda
- turundaa small piece of soft, absorbent material
Māori kope, ūkui
- kopea small piece of soft, absorbent material
- ūkuiTo use a swab on something, or clean something with a swab
Polish wacik
- wacika small piece of soft, absorbent material
Portuguese cotonete
- cotoneteA mop, especially on a ship
Russian мазок, вытира́ть
- мазок (mazok)A sample taken with a swab
- вытира́ть (vytirátʹ)To use a swab on something, or clean something with a swab
- чи́стить (čístitʹ)To use a swab on something, or clean something with a swab
Spanish hisopo (Arg., Mex., Ur. y Ven.), frotis
- hisopo (Arg., Mex., Ur. y Ven.)a small piece of soft, absorbent material
- frotisA sample taken with a swab
Swedish svabb, svabba
- svabbA mop, especially on a ship
- svabbaTo use a swab on something, or clean something with a swab
- moppaTo use a swab on something, or clean something with a swab
- våttorkaTo use a swab on something, or clean something with a swab
Turkish sıyırma, sıyırma
- sıyırmaA sample taken with a swab
- sıyırmaA mop, especially on a ship
Welsh swab, swabiad
- swaba small piece of soft, absorbent material
- swabiadA sample taken with a swab
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with swab
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
swab. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/swab
“swab.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/swab. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “swab,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/swab.
Source: swab on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.