Meanings
verb
- gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of swab
nounswabbing (plural swabbings)
plural swabbings
- The act of one who swabs.
Cleanliness on board of a ship is highly necessary for the preservation of the health of seamen; but the custom of frequent swabbings or washings between the decks, as is too frequently practised, is certainly injurious[…]
1821, Robert Thomas, The modern practice of physic
Synonyms & antonyms
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Cite this entry
APA
swabbing. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/swabbing
MLA
“swabbing.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/swabbing. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “swabbing,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/swabbing.
Source: swabbing on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.