swab
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About Our Definitions: All forms of a word (noun, verb, etc.) are now displayed on one page.1swab
noun \ˈswäb\Definition of SWAB
1
a : mop; especially : a yarn mop b (1) : a wad of absorbent material usually wound around one end of a small stick and used especially for applying medication or for removing material from an area (2) : a specimen taken with a swab c : a sponge or cloth patch attached to a long handle and used to clean the bore of a firearm
See Examples of SWAB
- Use a cotton swab dipped in alcohol to disinfect the area.
- The doctor took a throat swab and sent it to the lab.
Origin of SWAB
probably from obsolete Dutch swabbe; akin to Low German swabber mop
First Known Use: 1653
Related to SWAB
2swab
transitive verbswabbedswab·bing
Definition of SWAB
1
: to clean with or as if with a swab
2
: to apply medication to with a swab <swabbed the wound with iodine>
Examples of SWAB
- The nurse swabbed the cut with a disinfectant.
Origin of SWAB
back-formation from swabber
First Known Use: 1719
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