swab

1 of 2

noun

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
2
a
: a useless or contemptible person
b
: sailor, gob

swab

2 of 2

verb

swabbed; swabbing

transitive verb

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 in a Sentence

Noun Use a cotton swab dipped in alcohol to disinfect the area. The doctor took a throat swab and sent it to the lab. Verb The nurse swabbed the cut with a disinfectant.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The public may be aware of Ancestry.com or 23 and Me, where families can learn about their lineage through a DNA swab. Craig Shoup, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025 Detectives submitted one of the swabs that was collected from the kitchen closet floor to the Rapid DNA Kiosk at New London Police Department on April 18. Kellie Love, Hartford Courant, 30 Apr. 2025
Verb
In this recent study, researchers in China analyzed wax swabbed from the ear canals of 209 participants, 108 of whom had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s. Amy McGorry, FOXNews.com, 26 June 2025 Doctors can make a definitive diagnosis with a blood test or by swabbing a patients’ nose or throat. Liz Szabo, NBC news, 29 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for swab

Word History

Etymology

Noun

probably from obsolete Dutch swabbe; akin to Low German swabber mop

Verb

back-formation from swabber

First Known Use

Noun

1653, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1719, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of swab was in 1653

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Swab.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/swab. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

swab

1 of 2 noun
1
b
: a wad of absorbent material usually wound around one end of a small stick and used especially for applying medicine or for removing material (as from a wound)
also : a sample taken with a swab
2
: sailor

swab

2 of 2 verb
swabbed; swabbing
: to use a swab on

Medical Definition

swab

1 of 2 noun
1
: a wad of absorbent material usually wound around one end of a small stick and used for applying medication or for removing material from an area
2
: a specimen taken with a swab
a throat swab

swab

2 of 2 transitive verb
swabbed; swabbing
: to apply medication to with a swab
swabbed the wound with iodine

More from Merriam-Webster on swab

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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