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
swabbed; swabbing
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
Christina Szalinski, Scientific American, 5 Feb. 2026
After testing punch holes, wet and dry swabs, wet and dry vacuuming, and tools used in the forensic science community, the research team determined that dry swabbing could collect enough DNA for a sample and would not damage the artwork.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 16 Jan. 2026
Sacbee.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Control samples were also taken from the researchers who swabbed the artifacts.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for swab
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show current usage.
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Noun
No large-scale study has directly compared menstrual blood collection with vaginal self-swabs—a gap the authors of the new paper acknowledge.
—Christina Szalinski, Scientific American, 5 Feb. 2026
After testing punch holes, wet and dry swabs, wet and dry vacuuming, and tools used in the forensic science community, the research team determined that dry swabbing could collect enough DNA for a sample and would not damage the artwork.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 16 Jan. 2026
Verb
These tests can include chest X-rays, swabbing the inside of the mouth or nose, pulse oximetry to detect levels of oxygen and blood tests.
—Sacbee.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Control samples were also taken from the researchers who swabbed the artifacts.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for swab
Cite this Entry
“Swab.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/swab. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
swab
1 of 2 noun1
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 noun1
: 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
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