swimmer

noun

swim·​mer ˈswi-mər How to pronounce swimmer (audio)
plural swimmers
: a person or animal that swims
a competitive swimmer
a fast/strong swimmer
… he liked to tell us that he had been a powerful swimmer in his youth, but I never saw him in actual water save once, and he then came out very promptly, shivering and upset.H. L. Mencken
a dog that is an excellent swimmer

Examples of swimmer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web For this prize, Bellingham has competition from Scottish middle distance runner Josh Kerr, talented tennis teenager Coco Gauff, Chinese swimmer Qin Haiyang and fellow footballers Linda Caicedo and Salma Paralluelo who impressed at the FIFA Women’s World Cup. Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024 But getting a flotation device perfectly into the hands of a panicky swimmer is not a sure bet. Corey Kilgannon, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2024 Now a junior, Grimstad had a standout year, racking up the 10th-most points of all male swimmers in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. UW-Stevens Point named Grimstad Athlete of the Week again in January for the third time. USA TODAY, 12 Mar. 2024 Lifeguards in Tijuana warn that while the water may look calm, the currents can be dangerous even for expert swimmers. Alexandra Mendoza, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Mar. 2024 His personal tipping point was the treatment of Black swimmers at a Pasadena public pool: They were allowed only on Wednesdays; the pool was drained before the white swimmers came back on Thursday. Kc Cole, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Mar. 2024 There are plenty of mesmerizing fish — silver whiting and red snappers — but there are also predators lurking that would scare most swimmers away: great white sharks. Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 1 Mar. 2024 Carriles tops the squad in batting average (.378). ▪ St. Thomas University swimmer Stella Warborn, a freshman from Sweden, has set an NAIA record for the 100 breaststroke. Walter Villa, Miami Herald, 26 Feb. 2024 Dozens of adventurous swimmers brave the cold to welcome in the new year with a jump into the ocean during the 24th annual Surf City Splash on Monday, Jan. 1, 2024. Heather McRea, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'swimmer.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of swimmer was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near swimmer

Cite this Entry

“Swimmer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/swimmer. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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