swan

1 of 3

noun

plural swans
1
plural also swan : any of various large heavy-bodied long-necked mostly pure white aquatic birds (family Anatidae, especially genus Cygnus) that have webbed feet and are related to but larger than the geese
2
: one that resembles or is likened to a swan
3
capitalized : the constellation Cygnus

Illustration of swan

Illustration of swan
  • swan 1

swan

2 of 3

verb (1)

swanned; swanning

intransitive verb

: to wander aimlessly or idly : dally

swan

3 of 3

verb (2)

swanned; swanning

Examples of swan in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Each of the swans carries out their personal vendetta against Capote in their own way. Brande Victorian, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Mar. 2024 Elsa Lanchester’s performance as the hissing, glamorous Bride — which was inspired, in part, by swans at the zoo — is fabulous as well, making a legendary impression with only seven minutes of screen time. Katie Rife, EW.com, 12 Mar. 2024 About 15 neighbors whose homes are near the pond named the swans and fed them corn, lettuce and carrots. Kyle Melnick, Washington Post, 7 Mar. 2024 Ringwald’s Carson also strikes a kooky, California contrast with the Manhattan swans — both more humble and more out-there than the East Coast grand dames like Lee Radziwill (Calista Flockhart) and Slim Keith (Diane Lane). Meredith Blake, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2024 There were lots of things available of the other women around her, the other swans. Brande Victorian, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Mar. 2024 Most artists focused on painting screens with rural red bungalows with swans floating by in streams while Ms. Herget included urban imagery in her work. Frederick N. Rasmussen, Baltimore Sun, 15 Feb. 2024 The swan, after all, is the national bird of this fairy-tale kingdom. Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue, 6 Feb. 2024 The years-long grudge the swans hold against their former friend devolves into a P.R. war to be won by whoever seems the least pathetic. Inkoo Kang, The New Yorker, 1 Feb. 2024
Verb
This season reaches its pinnacle of camp with a visit from Oscar Wilde himself (Jordan Sebastian Waller), who swans through a crowd of Manhattan elite dropping droll asides after the premiere of his first play, Vera; or, The Nihilists. EW.com, 27 Oct. 2023 The music video, in which Tay swans around a Malibu mansion in a pastel two-piece, was more controversial. Ej Dickson, Rolling Stone, 13 Nov. 2023 People, especially San Francisco old-timers, like to talk about the way our politicos tend to swan through the dining room at lunchtime, shaking outstretched hands on the way to their favorite tables. Soleil Ho, San Francisco Chronicle, 14 Oct. 2021

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

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English; akin to Middle High German swan and perhaps to Latin sonus sound — more at sound entry 1

Verb (2)

perhaps euphemism for swear

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (1)

1942, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

1784, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of swan was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near swan

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

swan

noun
ˈswän
plural swans also swan
: any of various large heavy-bodied long-necked usually pure white water birds with webbed feet that are related to but larger than the geese

Geographical Definition

Swan

geographical name

variants or in its upper course Avon
river about 240 miles (386 kilometers) long in southwestern Western Australia flowing west into the Indian Ocean
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