swan

1 of 3

noun

ˈswän 

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

Swan : the constellation Cygnus

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

intransitive verb

dialect

: declare, swear

Examples of swan in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Runoff from a pond in the estuary was carrying fecal matter from geese, swans and ducks onto the beach, toward the harbor and Long Island Sound. —Jennifer McLogan, CBS News, 15 May 2026

But watching Trump swan around Beijing with an entourage of prominent American CEOs, including Elon Musk and Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, left the impression that the American president sees China as a business opportunity rather than as a security threat. —Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 15 May 2026

Verb

Glamorous as ever at 92, Joan Collins swans onto the Cannes red carpet in ruffles and diamonds for the Electric Kiss premiere. —Alex Apatoff, PEOPLE, 12 May 2026

They're led by a glamorous male mad scientist, Dr. Frank-N-Furter, who swans about in a glittering corset and heels. —Neda Ulaby, NPR, 27 Sep. 2025

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

Phrases Containing swan

• mute swan
• swan boat
• swan dive
• swan song
• trumpeter swan
• tundra swan
• whistling swan
• whooper swan

Rhymes for swan

• aune
• bon
• bonne
• brawn
• chon
• con
• conn
• crohn
• dawn
• drawn
• fawn
• gone

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

ˈswän 

variants or in its upper course Avon

ˈa-vən 

river about 240 miles (386 kilometers) long in southwestern Western Australia flowing west into the Indian Ocean