swimn.
/swɪm/, U.S. /swɪm/ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > liquid > [noun] > parts or elements > clear part
swim1547
1547 R. Record Judic. Uryne 16 b The sedyment or grounde, the sublacion or swymme, and the cloude.
1625 J. Hart Anat. Urines i. iii. 34 The urine in this disease was..variable and inconstant in the swimme and sublimation.
1676 J. Cooke Mellificium Chirurg. (ed. 3) 39 The Sediment possesses the bottom; the Swim the middle, the Cloud at top.
2. A smooth gliding movement of the body. Also figurative.
ΘΚΠ
the world > movement > progressive motion > specific manner of progressive motion > [noun] > smoothly > a smooth gliding movement > specifically of the body
swim1601
1601 B. Jonson Fountaine of Selfe-love ii. iv. sig. E2v Phi. And did I not daunce moouingly last night? Mor. Moouingly; out of measure..Saue onely you wanted the swim i' the turne... Phi. Nay..both the swimme, and the trip, are properly mine.
1654 R. Whitlock Ζωοτομία 505 An even unruffled swimme of Affaires, and Fortunes.
1681 T. Otway Souldiers Fortune ii. i. 18 That modish swim of your Body.
1703 R. Steele Tender Husband iii. i Your Arms do but hang on, and you move perfectly upon Joints. Not with a Swim of the whole Person—.
1776 H. Brooke Fool of Quality (rev. ed.) IV. xvii. 96 That easy swim of movement..which..distinguishes the ladies of this country.
ΘΚΠ
the world > animals > fish > parts of fish > [noun] > air bladder or parts of
sound1323
swimmer1579
wind-bladder1594
rete1615
swim1638
air bladder1675
swimming-bladder1713
air duct1744
red body1785
swim-bladder1837
fish-maw1840
fish-sound1879
maw1883
red gland1896
1638 J. Winthrop Hist. New Eng. (1825) (modernized text) I. 272 Distinct bodies in the form of a globe, not much unlike the swims of some fish.
1684 R. Waller tr. Ess. Nat. Exper. Acad. del Cimento 67 The greater part of the Air in the bladder, by forcing, or taring the Swim, gets out through some invisible Passages.
1787 T. Best Conc. Treat. Angling (ed. 2) 1 An air bladder, or swim, to enable them to rise or sink to any height or depth of water, at pleasure.
1833 Penny Cycl. I. 242/1 The..functions of the air-bladder, or, as they [sc. fishermen] most commonly call it, the swim.
4.
a. An act of swimming.
ΘΚΠ
the world > movement > progressive motion > moving with current of air or water > movement in or on water > [noun] > swimming > an act of
swim1764
1764 J. Wesley Jrnl. 16 Jan. (1914) V. 44 My mare lost both her fore feet, but she gave a spring, and recovered the causeway; otherwise we must have taken a swim, for the water on either side was ten or twelve feet deep.
1805 Hayley Ballads i. xv 'Twas Edward's pleasure, after toil, To take a fearless swim.
1828 W. Whewell in J. M. Douglas Life & Corr. W. Whewell (1881) 126 A piece of water..where, I believe,..I should find water-fowl of various kinds, tame and wild, taking their morning swim.
1890 ‘R. Boldrewood’ Colonial Reformer (1891) xvii. 199 Parklands..had..a swim with Brandon and Mr. Neuchamp in the river.
1895 G. Meredith Amazing Marriage I. i. 4 The tale of her swim across the Shannon river and back.
b. A piece of water to be crossed by swimming. local.
ΘΚΠ
the world > the earth > water > body of water > [noun]
watereOE
freshlOE
openc1485
strand1513
shard1590
water body1723
drink1832
lane1835
swim1880
nappe1887
dead zone1971
the world > movement > progressive motion > moving with current of air or water > movement in or on water > [noun] > swimming > swimming over or across > piece of water to be crossed
swim1880
1880 I. L. Bird Unbeaten Tracks Japan II. 130 The Aino guide took to the water without giving us any notice that its broad eddying flood was a swim, and not a ford.
1895 Queenslander 7 Dec. 1061 The Diamantina River is a swim at Elderslie.
5. A swimming motion; colloquial or dialect, a swimming or dizzy sensation. (Cf. swime n.)
ΘΚΠ
the world > health and disease > ill health > a disease > vertigo > [noun]
dizzinessc900
swimeOE
swinglingc1000
turningc1230
turngiddya1382
giddiness1398
turngiddiness1398
vertiginyc1400
turn-sick?c1450
swindling1527
vertigo1528
swimming1530
swindle1559
turnsickness1559
duseling1561
whirling1561
turn-sick giddiness1577
megrim1595
vertiginousness1599
whimsya1627
tiegoa1640
lightheadedness1645
swimmering1650
swim1817
swirling1825
swimminess1894
the world > movement > progressive motion > specific manner of progressive motion > [noun] > smoothly > a smooth gliding movement
glide1596
swim1817
1817 J. Keats I stood Tip-toe 114 The moon lifting her silver rim Above a cloud, and with a gradual swim Coming into the blue with all her light.
1818 J. Keats Endymion i. 30 Visions..The which became more strange, and strange, and dim, And then were gulph'd in a tumultuous swim: And then I fell asleep.
1829 E. Elliott Village Patriarch iii. 39 The laws allow His [sc. the coach-horse's] ever-batter'd hoof, and anguish'd limb, Till, death-struck, flash his brain, with dizzy swim.
1888 F. T. Elworthy W. Somerset Word-bk. Swim,..3. State of giddiness or faintness. My 'ead's all of a swim.
6.
a. A part of a river or other piece of water much frequented by fish, or in which an angler fishes.
ΘΚΠ
the world > the earth > water > rivers and streams > system > [noun] > part for fishing
stella1128
raik1477
salmon fishing1588
swim1828
1828 Sporting Mag. 22 25 It is an excellent part of the stream, and has many good swims and deep holes.
1840 D. P. Blaine Encycl. Rural Sports viii. ix. §3427 It is a method [of catching barbel] principally applied to the more quiet swims.
1864 Hibberd in Intellectual Observer V. 17 Angling for grayling beside a poor swim on the banks of the Wye, the Dove, or the Ribble.
1867 F. Francis Bk. Angling i. 29 Roach and dace for the most part bite in the same swims.
b. figurative phr. in the swim with: in the same company with, in league with.
ΘΚΠ
society > society and the community > social relations > association, fellowship, or companionship > a company or body of persons > [adverb]
commonlyc1330
in companya1393
in handa1400
in suit withc1440
along1600
in consort1611
socially1621
in the swim with1885
in tow (with)1907
1885 Graphic 3 Jan. 11/2 A combination of leading jockeys and others ‘in the swim’ with them.
1889 R. Bridges Growth of Love lxiii And since I see Myself in swim with such good company.
7.
a. figurative. The current of affairs or events, esp. the popular current in business, fashion, or opinion; chiefly in in (out of) the swim.
ΘΚΠ
the world > existence and causation > existence > state or condition > tendency > [noun] > course or direction
current1607
generalitiesa1628
bent1649
duct1650
turn1690
run1699
movement1789
swim1869
trend1884
1869 Macmillan's Mag. Nov. 70/2 A man is said to be ‘in the swim’ when any piece of good fortune has happened, or seems likely to happen, to him..The metaphor is piscatorial.
1874 Siliad ii. 30 ‘He's in the swim’, another swift replies; ‘Hot wather, thin, he loiks’, Obroian cries.
1879 J. McCarthy Hist. our Own Times II. xxvi. 264 Palmerston is to all appearance what would be vulgarly called ‘out of the swim’.
1884 Graphic 29 Nov. 562/3 The second category of companies is usually so managed that the originators do pretty well out of it whether those of the shareholders who are not ‘in the swim’ gain a profit or lose their Capital.
b. with qualifying words.
ΚΠ
1884 H. P. Spofford in Harper's Mag. Nov. 891/1 She is in the swim of the world, turning night into day.
1888 A. C. Gunter Mr. Potter xiv. 167 Who knows nearly everybody in the swim of European society.
1891 L. B. Walford Mischief of Monica xxix They have got into the Schofield swim, and in the Schofield swim they must remain.
8. An enterprise, scheme, ‘game’. colloquial or slang.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > will > intention > planning > [noun] > a plan > a proposed plan or a project
propositiona1382
present?a1400
motiona1425
pleaa1500
action1533
propose1568
project1582
proposala1629
projection1633
party1653
projecture1658
scheme1719
ad referendum1753
swim1860
action plan1889
1860 G. A. Sala Baddington Peerage I. vii. 138 Perhaps, though, I'd better work with Jack; I don't like being alone in a swim.
1869 ‘W. Bradwood’ The O.V.H. (1870) 211 I suppose your master aint the sort to stand in for a swim is he?
1876 ‘A. Thomas’ Blotted Out xvi. 147 You should have taken Claire into your confidence respecting this swim we're in about getting the money from your father.
9. (See quot. 1867.)
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > travel by water > vessel, ship, or boat > parts of vessels > body of vessel > rear part of vessel > [noun] > types of
aplustre1705
pink-stern1759
swim1867
cruiser stern1915
1867 W. H. Smyth & E. Belcher Sailor's Word-bk. Swims, the flat extremities of east-country barges.
1883 Pall Mall Gaz. 8 Dec. 4/1 When..the steersman has taken his place in the front swim, and the horse has been attached by a long rope, the vessel is ready to start.
Compounds
C1. Simple attributive. ‘Worn while swimming’. Cf. swimming n. Compounds 1.
swim-cap n.
ΚΠ
1964 Harper's Bazaar Nov. 102 Black and white felt, close as a swimcap.
swim-pants n.
ΚΠ
1942 N. Last Diary 5 June in Nella Last's War (1983) 207 Arthur stripped off to a pair of swim-pants, to get sun-browned.
1977 J. D. MacDonald Condominium xxxiv. 328 He wore brief turquoise swim pants and large, very dark sunglasses.
swim-shorts n.
ΚΠ
1973 G. Beare Snake on Grave iv. 22 All he wore was swim-shorts and leather sandals.
swim-trunks n.
ΚΠ
1959 Spectator 21 Aug. 223/1 Several were wading about in the water. Two were braving it out in swim-trunks.
1979 G. Mitchell Mudflats of Dead iii. 35 He..put on his swim-trunks, and slung a towel around his shoulders.
swim-wear n.
ΚΠ
1935 A. P. Herbert What a Word! iv. 115 I have been implored by many to attack ‘neck-wear’, ‘foot-wear’, ‘sleep-wear’, and ‘swim-wear’.
1962 Punch 23 May p. xiii/1 Harvey Nichols have a new range of Californian swimwear.
1976 J. Archer Not Penny More x. 104 I'll never get into the swimwear I'm..modelling next week.
C2. Special combinations.
swim-feeder n. in coarse fishing: a short length of perforated plastic tube about an inch in diameter, used to contain maggots, which escape gradually once it is sunk in the water.
ΘΚΠ
the world > food and drink > hunting > fishing > fishing-tackle > means of attracting fish > [noun] > bait > in bag or tube
rubby-dubby1957
swim-feeder1958
1958 F. Oates Coarse Fishing Baits ix. 68 Another method of ground baiting is by the use of a new gadget called a ‘swim-feeder’.
1981 B. Walsh Live Bait v. 33 I used a paternoster rig, with a swimfeeder and a coffin leger to hold the bottom.
swimgloat n. Logan Pearsall Smith's term for the enjoyment of brief social success without becoming corrupted by it.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > esteem > approval or sanction > quality of being approvable or acceptable > popularity > [noun] > brilliant but temporary > without becoming corrupted by it
swimgloat1943
1943 J. Lees-Milne Jrnl. 5 Sept. in Ancestral Voices (1975) 236 He [sc. Logan Pearsall Smith] calls Stuart's social success a ‘swimgloat’.
1974 Times Lit. Suppl. 11 Oct. 1112/3 Logan Pearsall Smith coined a word for the buoyant negotiation of the vanities and temptations of society..: ‘swimgloat’. It is a term which suggests the eternal resilience of the picaresque hero.
swim-hole n. = swimming hole n. at swimming n. Compounds 2.
ΘΚΠ
the world > the earth > water > rivers and streams > system > [noun] > pool as part of
weelc897
poolOE
dub1535
linn1577
potc1650
waterhole1688
plumbc1780
swimming hole1867
black hole1869
water pit1881
swilly-hole1890
swim-hole1924
1924 R. Kipling Debits & Credits (1926) 321 There was a wet ditch at the bottom that I had wanted..to dam up to make a swim-hole for Mrs. Bevin's ducks.
1957 J. Kerouac On the Road i. i. 10 My boyhood in those dye-dumps and swim-holes.
swim-pool n. = swimming pool n. at swimming n. Compounds 2.
ΘΚΠ
the world > the earth > water > lake > pool > [noun] > for swimming
public bath1611
swimming pool1899
swim-pool1964
1964 C. Barber Ling. Change Present-day Eng. ii. 21 Recently I have seen..swim-pool in a high-class newspaper.
1970 New Yorker 10 Oct. 80/1 (advt.) Two swim pools.
1977 Lancashire Life Mar. 115/1 Britain has some of the finest swim pool engineers in the world.
swimsuit n. a (woman's) bathing costume.
ΘΚΠ
the world > textiles and clothing > clothing > types or styles of clothing > [noun] > for specific purpose > swimming or bathing
bathing-dress1774
bathing-costume?a1832
costume1855
suit1864
bathing-suit1873
cossie1926
swimmer1929
togs1930
Speedo1933
swimsuit1934
bathers1945
bikini1948
bikini1957
monokini1964
tankini1985
burkini2002
1934 Times 18 July 17/6 The one-piece swimsuits with attached skirt are still the most popular.
1948 J. Betjeman Sel. Poems 79 Don't hang swim-suits out on sills (A line has been provided at the back).
1980 B. Castle Castle Diaries 151 To the disapproval of the department I insisted on taking an hour off on my way to the office to try to buy a swimsuit for my holiday.
swim-suited adj.
ΘΚΠ
the world > textiles and clothing > clothing > wearing clothing > [adjective] > other
slitteredc1380
tatteredc1380
accoutredc1540
suiteda1592
undressed1605
uniforma1626
full-dressed1731
tucky1748
underdresseda1784
costumed1820
décolleté1831
fancy dressed1836
winter-clad1836
sacked1847
evening-dressed1848
mufti1853
tailor-made1896
swim-suited1955
1955 New Statesman 16 July 66/2 Brutally honest was the Visual Arts float: the Visual Arts..were..represented by a number of swim-suited young women.
1979 ‘J. Ross’ Rattling of Old Bones iii. 32 She was all fresh and rosy and swimsuited.
Draft additions 1993
c. transferred. One of the many variations of the twist popular in the 1960s, in which the dancer's arms and body move in a swimming motion. Originally U.S.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > dancing > types of dance or dancing > shaking or jiving dances > [noun]
twist1894
shimmy1918
shimmying1919
shimmy shiver1919
heebie-jeebies1923
shimmy shake1925
shimmy-fox1926
shag1932
jitterbugging1938
jitterbug1939
jive1943
the Shake1946
swim1965
1965 Economist 28 Aug. 786/3 Everyone comes [to New York discothèques] to dance the frug, the watusi, the monkey, the swim, or whatever the latest caper may be.
1967 Boston Sunday Herald 30 Apr. (Show Guide) 14/4 From their stylized embellishments emerged the Swim, Watusi, and Frug we enjoy today.
1979 R. Jaffe Class Reunion (1980) ii. vi. 244 They danced the frug, the swim, and the watusi.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1919; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
swimv.
/swɪm/, U.S. /swɪm/ I. Intransitive senses.† 8. transferred. To abound with swimming animals.
1.
a. To move along in or on water by movements of the limbs or other natural means of progression.
ΘΚΠ
the world > movement > progressive motion > moving with current of air or water > movement in or on water > move in or on water [verb (intransitive)]
swimOE
floata1400
the world > movement > progressive motion > moving with current of air or water > movement in or on water > move in or on water [verb (intransitive)] > swim
swimOE
fleetOE
to oar it1894
OE Riddle 74 3 Ic..fleah mid fuglum ond on flode swom, deaf under yþe dead mid fiscum.
OE Beowulf 1624 Com þa to lande lidmanna helm swiðmod swymman.
c1000 Ælfric Homilies II. 516 Ða geseah he swymman scealfran on flode.
c1050 in T. Wright & R. P. Wülcker Anglo-Saxon & Old Eng. Vocab. (1884) I. 454/30 Nat, swam, swimð.
c1175 Lamb. Hom. 51 Heo bi-gon to swimmen forðward mid þe streme and swam hire þer aȝen.
c1175 Lamb. Hom. 129 Alle þe fiscas þe swummen in þere se.
c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1963) l. 673 Þa mereminnen heom to svommen [c1300 Otho swomme].
c1275 Laȝamon Brut 28078 Com þar a fisc swemme.
c1290 St. Patrick's Purgat. 350 in S. Eng. Leg. 210 In þat water,..Þis gostes swymden op and doun.
a1330 Otuel 1617 Summe swumme & summe sunke.
c1384 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(2)) (1850) Deeds xxvii. 42 Lest ony schulde scape, whanne he hadde swymmed [1526 Tyndale swome] out.
c1405 (c1390) G. Chaucer Miller's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 389 Thanne shaltow swymme [v.r. sweme] as murye,..As dooth the white doke after his drake.
c1480 (a1400) St. Martha 108 in W. M. Metcalfe Legends Saints Sc. Dial. (1896) I. 288 He enterit in riuere faste, & swemand ay, til and mycht leste.
1488 (c1478) Hary Actis & Deidis Schir William Wallace (Adv.) (1968–9) v. l. 515 Quhen he is strest than can he swym [v.r. swoome] at will.
1489 (a1380) J. Barbour Bruce (Adv.) iii. 431 Sum off thaim couth swome full weill.
1535 Bible (Coverdale) Ezek. xlvii. 5 The water was so depe, that it was nedefull to haue swymmed.
a1593 C. Marlowe Hero & Leander (1598) ii. 250 Vouchsafe these armes some little roome, Who hoping to imbrace thee, cherely swome.
1597 T. Beard Theatre Gods Iudgements ii. viii. 255 They swum through the waters amaine.
1608 J. Sylvester tr. G. de S. Du Bartas Deuine Weekes & Wks. (new ed.) ii. iv. 93 The Crystal Wave, Ouer the which so often swom they have.
1630 R. Norton tr. W. Camden Hist. Princesse Elizabeth i. 81 Being shipwrack't..he had swumme till his strength and his armes failed him.
1653 I. Walton Compl. Angler vi. 135 Some..young Salmons, which have been taken in Weires, as they swimm'd towards the salt water. View more context for this quotation
1663 J. Mayne tr. Lucian Part of Lucian sig. Z3v In the sight of all he swumme over to the enemies.
1670 J. Milton Hist. Brit. ii. 61 His Foot so pass'd over, his Horse waded or swom.
a1676 M. Hale Primitive Originat. Mankind (1677) ii. vii. 202 Though it hath been observed that Bears have swimmed into Islands many Leagues from the Continent.
1676 T. Shadwell Virtuoso ii. 29 Admirably well struck! rarely swum!
1701 J. Brand Brief Descr. Orkney, Zetland 110 Betaking themselves to Sea, they endeavour to sweem to the next Isle.
1750 S. Johnson Rambler No. 24. ⁋9 Who, being shipwrecked, had swam naked to land.
1776 W. J. Mickle in tr. L. de Camoens Lusiad Introd. p. cxii His poems, which he held in one hand, while he swimmed with the other [etc.].
1827 T. Carlyle tr. J. A. Musæus in German Romance I. 161 The messengers..had swam across the Elbe and the Moldau.
1853 C. Kingsley Hypatia I. iii. 51 Luckily, Philammon..was a bather, and swam like a water-fowl.
1890 ‘R. Boldrewood’ Colonial Reformer (1891) xiv. 156 Maories and Kanakas can swim, repeated the old man... White men like you and me can only paddle.
b. figurative or in figurative context or phrase. to swim between two waters (occasionally also streams), tr. French prov. nager entre deux eaux: to steer between two extremes.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > judgement or decision > absence of prejudice > be unbiased [verb (intransitive)] > be neutral
to stand neuter1548
to swim between two waters (occasionally also streams)1553
neutrize1609
mediate1612
neutralize1642
(to stand or sit) on or upon the fence1830
c1400 Rom. Rose 7007 Al amydde I bilde and mak My hous and swimme [MS. swmme] and pley therynne Bet than a fish doth with his fynne.
c1400 Pety Job 83 in 26 Pol. Poems 123 For Mary loue, that mayde so fre, In whos blode thy son swamme.
a1500 R. Henryson tr. Æsop Fables: Paddock & Mouse l. 2937 in Poems (1981) 109 Mannis bodie, swymand air and late In to this warld,..quhylis plungit vp, quhylis doun.
1553 R. Horne tr. J. Calvin Certaine Homilies i. sig. Cvij They yt swim (as ye common saing is) betwixt twoo waters alleage [etc.].
1567 R. Sempill in J. Cranstoun Satirical Poems Reformation (1891) I. 33 He swoumit in the fluidis of Poetrie.
1595 E. Spenser Colin Clouts come Home Againe sig. D4 Vnlesse he swim in loue vp to the eares.
1598 G. Chapman in C. Marlowe & G. Chapman Hero & Leander (new ed.) iii. 100 When on his breasts warme sea she sideling swims.
1642 H. More Ψυχωδια Platonica sig. P7v Well hast thou swommen out, and left that stage Of wicked Actours.
1649 J. Howell Preheminence Parl. 17 My whole life (since I was left to my self to swim, as they say without bladders).
1712 A. W. Boehm tr. St. Bernard of Clairvaux in tr. J. Arnot True Christianity I. ii. 600 He suffer'd Sorrows, to create our Joys, Shed purple Streams that we might swim to bliss.
1879 J. M. Duncan Clin. Lect. Dis. Women v. 55 A woman who for a long time swam for her life, having had an attack of pyæmia in the course of her recovery from a perimetric abscess.
1888 Times (Weekly ed.) 3 Feb. 9/2 These documents went swimming to and fro in the Admiralty.
1890 A. Barrère & C. G. Leland Dict. Slang (at cited word) To make a man swim for it, is to cheat him out of his share.
1893 R. L. Stevenson Catriona xi. 120 I could lay all these troubles by..swim clear of the Appin murder, [etc.].
c. to swim with or down the stream or the tide, to act in conformity with prevailing opinion or tendency (see stream n. 2f); so, in opposite sense, to swim against the stream or the tide.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > behaviour > a standard of conduct > direct one's conduct by a rule [verb (intransitive)] > conform
conform1393
to swim with or down the stream or the tide1592
symbolize1605
comply1655
to fall in (also into) line1837
to toe a (also the) line (or mark, scratch, crack, trig)1895
the world > action or operation > behaviour > a standard of conduct > direct one's conduct by a rule [verb (intransitive)] > not conform to standard behaviour
to swim against the stream or the tide1592
to step (or get, etc.) out of line1791
the world > action or operation > difficulty > opposition > oppose [verb (intransitive)] > resist > resist prevailing tendencies
to strive against the stream1537
to swim against the stream or the tide1705
1592 T. Nashe Strange Newes in Wks. (1904) I. 321 This..is nothing else but to swim with the streame.
1593 T. W. Tears of Fancie xliii. sog. D2v Long haue I swome against the wished waue.
1600 W. Shakespeare Henry IV, Pt. 2 v. ii. 34 You must now speake sir Iohn Falstaffe faire, Which swimmes against your streame of quallitie. View more context for this quotation
1602 W. Fulbecke Parallele or Conf. Law ii. Introd. 3 Because I would not swim against the streame, nor be vnlike vnto my neighbours.
1631 R. Bolton Instruct. Comforting Afflicted Consciences 227 A notorious wretch which hath swumme downe the current of the times, and wallowed in worldly pleasures.
1695 J. Collier Misc. upon Moral Subj. 70 A Popular Man always swims down the Stream.
1705 Ld. Fermanagh Let. 18 Nov. in M. M. Verney Verney Lett. (1930) I. xiii. 229 I fancy Mr. Gape may lose it... Its hard Swimming against the Tyde.
1712 R. Steele Spectator No. 492. ⁋4 There is no help for it, we must swim with the Tide.
1776 H. Brooke Fool of Quality (rev. ed.) IV. xvii. 84 Our young Englishman swam willingly down the stream of pleasure.
1855 J. L. Motley Rise Dutch Republic II. iii. vi. 330 The President stoutly told him that he was endeavouring to swim against the stream, that the tax was offensive to the people.
1855 J. L. Motley Rise Dutch Republic III. v. iv. 284 They..had sought to swim on the popular tide when it was rising.
1971 Nature 22 Oct. 515/3 The Sira Institute seems to be swimming against the economic tide.
2.
a. To float on the surface of any liquid; to be supported on water or other fluid; not to sink; to form the upper part of a mass of liquid. Sometimes, To rise and float on the surface.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > liquid > action or process of floating > float [verb (intransitive)]
fleetc1000
swimc1000
floata1100
hovec1220
supernate1683
c1000 Sax. Leechd. II. 88 Wiþ circul adle genim doccan þa þe swimman wille.
a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 370) (1850) 4 Kings vi. 6 Felle the yren of the axe in to the watir... Thanne he hewede of a tree, and putte thidir; and the yren swam.
1558 W. Ward tr. G. Ruscelli Secretes Alexis of Piemount f. 44v Take vp with a..spone,..all the oyle that shall swim aboue.
1578 J. Rolland Seuin Seages 23 Thay gar sweit licour swym aboue, and gall is at the ground.
1607 God's Warning in Harl. Misc. (Malh.) III. 66 Sheepe swimming upon the waters dead.
1650 tr. J. A. Comenius Janua Linguarum Reserata §71 If one plunge or drown anie thing under it [sc. water], it will swim out again.
1665 R. Hooke Micrographia vi. 12 Several distinct Liquors, which swimming one upon another, will not presently mix.
1791 J. Boswell Life Johnson anno 1775 I. 507 [Johnson:] The cannon ball swam in the quicksilver.
1798 in Ld. Nelson Dispatches & Lett. (1845) III. 51 A boat, the only one that could swim.
1807 T. Thomson Syst. Chem. (ed. 3) II. 407 On standing, the mixture separated into two portions; the alcohol holding the salt in solution sunk to the bottom; the ether swam on the surface.
1884 Christian Commonw. 23 Oct. 20/3 Men are skimming the milk before much of the cream has had time to swim.
b. To be supported in a fluid medium.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > properties of materials > lightness > be light [verb (intransitive)] > rise due to lightness > be buoyant or rise to surface
fleetc1000
floata1100
swim1547
buoya1616
1547 R. Record Judic. Uryne 17 If it [sc. the sediment in urine] be so lyght, that it swym in the myddle region of the urine, then it is called the sublation or swym.
1661 R. Boyle Physico-chym. Ess. Salt-petre in Certain Physiol. Ess. 109 Amongst whose little Crystals nevertheless there appear'd to swim very little grains.
1817 P. B. Shelley Laon & Cythna v. iv. 95 Methought, his voice did swim As if it drowned in remembrance were Of thoughts.
1895 S. R. Crockett Men of Moss-hags xli. 296 When my minnie gaed to him with the guid kail broo and the braxy sooming amang it.
c. figurative and in figurative context.
ΚΠ
1563 T. Becon Demands Holy Script. Pref. (1577) A iij This holy woord of God among you, swimmeth not in your lippes only, but it also shineth in your lyfe and conuersation.
1579 T. Palfreyman Baldwin's Treat. Morall Philos. (new ed.) ix. iv. f. 193 A very fruitles & dead faith,..which swimmeth like a feame, in thoutward parts of mens thoughtes.
1587 A. Fleming et al. Holinshed's Chron. (new ed.) III. Contin. 1353/1 Why we let them [sc. God's laws] swim in our lips, and slip from our liues, as the vaine Iewes did.
1788 J. Reynolds Disc. Royal Acad. vi. 219 The principles on which the work is wrought..do not swim on the superficies, and consequently are not open to superficial observers.
1850 Ld. Tennyson In Memoriam cvi. 166 On the depths of death there swims The reflex of a human face. View more context for this quotation
d. Phrases in which swim is opposed to sink; esp. sink or swim (occasionally swim or drown), used spec. in reference to the ordeal of suspected witches (cf. 14b), hence figurative = ‘whatever may happen’.
ΘΚΠ
the world > existence and causation > occurrence > future events > [phrase] > whatever may happen
sink or swimc1410
vail that vail mightc1475
the mind > will > decision > resolution or determination > [phrase] > determination regardless of consequences
at all perilsc1300
sinka1393
sink or swimc1410
neck or nothing1673
coûte que coûte1715
at all costs1810
Sydney or the bush1924
the world > action or operation > prosperity > success > there is much success [phrase] > succeed or fail
sink or swima1538
a man or a mouse1541
c1410 Lanterne of Liȝt 106 Þei charge not wheþir þei [sc. souls] synk or swyme, so þei moun regne as lordis.
a1538 T. Starkey Dial. Pole & Lupset (1989) 58 For the rest they care not as hyt ys commynly sayd whether they synke or swyme.
a1556 N. Udall Ralph Roister Doister (?1566) i. iii. sig. B.iijv I care not to let all alone, choose it swimme or sinke.
1611 R. Cotgrave Dict. French & Eng. Tongues at Nager A fauourite of the time, or of authoritie, may boldly swimme where another would sinke.
1786 R. Burns Poems 31 Let posts an' pensions sink or swoom.
1825 Ann. Reg., Chron. (1826) 98/2 Dubbed a wizard.., Stebbings..proposed at length, of himself, the old-fashioned ordeal of ‘sink or swim’.
1860 G. J. Whyte-Melville Holmby House I. xviii. 274 Well, it's ‘over shoes over boots now’, and sink or swim, I won't give in for the fear of a ducking!
1887 R. L. Stevenson Thrawn Janet in Merry Men 141 The guidwives..pu'd her doun the clachan to the water o' Dule, to see if she were a witch or no, soum or drown.
3.
a. To move or float along on the surface of the water, as a ship. Now poetic.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > travel by water > action or motion of vessel > [verb (intransitive)] > float (of vessel)
swimOE
fleetOE
floata1100
OE Wanderer 53 Sorg bið geniwad, þonne maga gemynd mod geondhweorfeð; greteð gliwstafum, georne geondsceawað secga geseldan. Swimmað eft on weg! Fleotendra ferð no þær fela bringeð cuðra cwidegiedda.
a1300 K. Horn (Cambr.) 203 Wiþute sail & roþer Vre schip bigan to swymme [v.r. swemme] To þis londes brymme.
1513 G. Douglas tr. Virgil Æneid ix. iii. 95 O ȝe my schippys,..Go furth and swome as Goddessis of the see.
1617 F. Moryson Itinerary ii. 84 The carkasse of a broken ship swimming by vs.
1624 F. Bacon Considerations War with Spain in Misc. Wks. (1629) 41 The greatest Nauy that euer swam vpon the Sea.
1664 S. Pepys Diary 22 Dec. (1971) V. 353 To Redriffe..and saw the new Vessell..launched... It swims and looks finely.
1669 S. Sturmy Mariners Mag. v. xii. 81 The Ship was free, and swimmed.
1765 R. Rogers Conc. Acct. N. Amer. 18 Having good anchoring ground, and water sufficient for any ship that swims.
1817 P. B. Shelley To one Singing 1 My spirit like a charmed bark doth swim Upon the liquid waves of thy sweet singing.
b. To be conveyed by a body floating on the water. Also figurative as in phr. ‘to be in the same boat with’ (to be in the same boat at boat n.1 Phrases 3a).
ΘΚΠ
the world > movement > progressive motion > moving with current of air or water > movement in or on water > move in or on water [verb (intransitive)] > be carried by floating body
swimc1405
c1405 (c1390) G. Chaucer Miller's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 364 A knedyng trogh or ellis a kymelyn,..In whiche we mowen swymme [v.r. sweme] as in a barge.
?1572 R. Sempill Premonitioun Barnis of Leith (single sheet) Yai wald haif wist hir swoumand Intil a bait vpon Lochlowmond.
a1616 W. Shakespeare As you like It (1623) iv. i. 36 I will scarce thinke you haue swam in a Gundello. View more context for this quotation
1650 T. Fuller Pisgah-sight of Palestine iii. 410 The gold of Ophir swimming unto him in the ships of Tarshish.
1869 ‘W. Bradwood’ The O.V.H. (1870) 215 Half the world will think we have scratched to swim in the same boat with Fisherman.
4. To move as water or other liquid, esp. over a surface; to flow.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > liquid > liquid flow > action or process of flowing > flow [verb (intransitive)] > away > in different directions > when applied to or poured on a surface
swimc1400
run?c1450
swill1896
c1400 Song Roland 70 It [sc. the wine] swymyd in ther hedis and mad hem to nap.
1575 G. Gascoigne Fruites of Warre ccii, in Posies sig. Kvii As long as any Sunne May shine on earth, or water swimme in Seas.
1582 R. Stanyhurst tr. Virgil First Foure Bookes Æneis iii. 62 Thee goare blood spowteth..And swyms in the thrashold.
1683 J. Reid Scots Gard'ner ii. ii. 68 Husbandmens watering is by Running Plough-furrowes (and trenches where needful).., so as the water may gently sweem over the whole.
1725 R. Bradley Chomel's Dictionaire Œconomique at Pears Comfit your Fruit as readily as you can, to the end, that the liquid Part may continually swim over the Fruit.
1831 Society 1 2 The..occasional tears which swam in the light blue eyes of her Hebe-looking companion.
5.
a. To glide with a smooth or waving motion.
ΘΚΠ
the world > movement > progressive motion > specific manner of progressive motion > move progressively in specific manner [verb (intransitive)] > smoothly
slidea950
scritheOE
glidea1275
silec1400
swima1556
steal1626
slip1680
snoove1719
skate1775
sleek1818
a1556 N. Udall Ralph Roister Doister (?1566) ii. iii. sig. C.iiijv Ye shall see hir glide and swimme. Not lumperdee clumperdee like our spaniell Rig.
c1563 Jack Juggler B j She minceth, she brideleth, she swimmeth to and fro.
a1591 H. Smith Serm. (1637) 175 Noblemen, when they..look upon their train swimming after them.
1623 W. Drummond Flowres of Sion 5 Thus singing through the Aire the Angels swame.
1728 J. Thomson Spring 39 The Peacock spreads His every-colour'd Glory to the Sun, And swims in floating Majesty along.
1766 H. Brooke Fool of Quality II. ix. 105 Turning, away she swam and disappeared in an instant.
1773 O. Goldsmith She stoops to Conquer Epil. [She] Doats upon dancing, and in all her pride, Swims round the room, the Heinel of Cheapside.
1830 T. B. Macaulay in G. O. Trevelyan Life & Lett. Macaulay (1876) I. iv. 164 Showy women swimming smoothly over the uneasy stones.
1888 R. L. Stevenson Black Arrow iv. ii. 209 She..swam across the floor as though she scorned the drudgery of walking.
b. Of a plough (in full, to swim fair): To go steadily (see quots.).
ΘΚΠ
the world > food and drink > farming > cultivation or tillage > breaking up land > ploughing > plough (of person) [verb (intransitive)] > of plough: plough > steadily
prevaricate1788
swim1797
1797 Encycl. Brit. XV. 75/1 When the plough goes on steadily, without any effort of the ploughman, it is said to be in trim, and to swim fair.
1842 Jrnl. Royal Agric. Soc. 3 ii. 357 The action of the plough was in no way deranged by that of the slicers; it ‘swam fair’ on the furrow bottom.
1844 H. Stephens Bk. of Farm I. 435 This plough, with its sole upon the surface of two years' old lea, and the coulter alone in the soil, the bridle having been adjusted to make it swim without any undue tendency.
6. † c. To ‘float’ in the mind. Obsolete.
a. To move, or appear to move, as if gliding or floating on water; esp. to move, glide, or be suspended in the air or ether, occasionally by mechanical means.
ΘΚΠ
the world > movement > progressive motion > moving with current of air or water > motion in the air > move in the air [verb (intransitive)]
fleetc1400
wave1606
float1637
swim1661
the world > physical sensation > sight and vision > thing seen > optical illusion > [verb (intransitive)] > swim before eyes
swim1661
float1775
1661 R. Boyle Hist. Fluidity & Firmnesse i, in Certain Physiol. Ess. 167 Those little moats that from a shady place we see swimming up and down in the Sun beams.
1669 S. Sturmy Mariners Mag. i. ii. 3 The Compass swings in the Boxes,..the Chard swimming well on the Pin perpendicular in the middle of the Box.
1694 Narbrough's Acct. Several Late Voy. 149 The Sun..having no Depression towards the Horizon, but always swimming about at the same hight.
1708 Brit. Apollo 23–28 Apr. I observ'd a Kite in the Air to swim several times round in a Circle.
1732 J. Arbuthnot Pract. Rules of Diet iv. 414 This Disease may be easily communicated by the Contagion or Steams of an infected Person swimming in the Air.
1780 W. Cowper Progress of Error 333 The Muse, eagle-pinioned,..Down, down the wind, she swims, and sails away.
1842 Ld. Tennyson Two Voices in Poems (new ed.) II. 133 High up the vapours fold and swim: About him broods the twilight dim.
1872 W. Black Strange Adventures Phaeton xxi. 303 The moon had swum further up into the heavens.
1895 R. W. Chambers Street of Our Lady of Fields in King in Yellow (1909) iv. 253 The dome of the Pantheon swam aglow above the northern terrace, a fiery Valhalla in the sky.
b. Said of the apparent motion of objects before the eyes of a person whose sight is troubled or blurred.
ΘΚΠ
the world > movement > move [verb (intransitive)] > have apparent motion
swim1678
the world > physical sensation > sight and vision > thing seen > optical illusion > [verb (intransitive)] > swim before eyes > of one whose sight is troubled or blurred
swim1678
1678 J. Dryden All for Love iii. 44 My sight grows dim, and every object dances, And swims before me, in the maze of death.
1697 J. Dryden tr. Virgil Æneis x, in tr. Virgil Wks. 529 A hov'ring Mist came swimming o're his sight.
1709 E. Smith Phædra & Hippolytus i. 7 Priests, Altars, Victims swam before my Sight!
1818 Ld. Byron Childe Harold: Canto IV cxl. 73 The arena swims around him—he is gone.
1819 P. B. Shelley Rosalind & Helen 13 Then all the scene was wont to swim Through the mist of a burning tear.
1857 Ld. Dufferin Lett. from High Latitudes (1867) 62 The room swam round before me.
1888 ‘R. Boldrewood’ Robbery under Arms xviii There was a sound like rushing waters in my ears, and the courthouse and the people all swam before my eyes.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > perception or cognition > faculty of imagination > mental image, idea, or fancy > be in the mind [verb (intransitive)]
swim1627
1627 W. Duncomb tr. V. d'Audiguier Tragi-comicall Hist. our Times x. 215 The admirable attractions of her surmounting beauty swome in her minde.
1639 S. Du Verger tr. J.-P. Camus Admirable Events 87 Seeking to feed his eyes with the sight of this faire image, which swimmed in his fantasie.
7.
a. Of the head or brain: To be affected with dizziness; to have a giddy sensation. Also, of the head, to swim round = to be in a whirl.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > excitement > be or become excited [verb (intransitive)] > become dizzy with excitement (of the mind or head)
reel1579
to run round1580
swim1702
spin1819
the world > health and disease > ill health > a disease > vertigo > have vertigo [verb (intransitive)]
turnOE
swimblea1400
whirl1561
wheel1593
whim1700
reel1701
swim1702
swirl1818
spin1819
giddy1845
1702 R. Steele Funeral i. 7 My Head swims as it did when I fell into my Fit at the thoughts of it.
1782 W. Cowper Jackdaw 10 Look up—your brains begin to swim.
1829 E. Bulwer-Lytton Devereux I. i. iii. 30 My head swam round.
1851 D. Jerrold St. Giles & St. James (new ed.) xi, in Writings I. 108 His brain swam with the thought, and he almost fell to the earth.
1871 C. Gibbon For Lack of Gold xx My head's bizzing, and sooming, and burning.
1886 R. L. Stevenson Kidnapped xvii. 166 My own sides so ached, my head so swam..that I lay beside him like one dead.
b. Of the eyes: To be troubled or blurred: with mixture of sense 10.
ΘΚΠ
the world > health and disease > ill health > a disease > disorders of eye > of the eyes: be afflicted with disorder [verb (intransitive)] > be bleary
swim1817
1817 P. B. Shelley Laon & Cythna vi. xxxvi. 146 When the faint eyes swim Thro' tears of a wide mist boundless and dim.
1819 W. Irving Rip Van Winkle in Sketch Bk. i. 76 At length his senses were overpowered, his eyes swam in his head.
1847 Ld. Tennyson Princess vi. 131 Who turn'd half-round to Psyche as she sprang To embrace it, with an eye that swum in thanks.
1860 J. Tyndall Glaciers of Alps i. xxii. 155 On suddenly raising it [sc. my head] my eyes swam as they rested on the unbroken slope of snow.
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > quantity > sufficient quantity, amount, or degree > abundance > make abundant [verb (transitive)] > abound in or with > swarm with > swimming creatures
swimc1381
c1381 G. Chaucer Parl. Foules (Harl.) 188 Colde welle stremes,..Þat swommyn ful of smale fysshes lyht.
a1578 R. Lindsay Hist. & Cron. Scotl. (1899) I. 337 The stankis..was sowmond full of all deliecat fisches.
1596 J. Dalrymple tr. J. Leslie Hist. Scotl. (1888) I. 23 A pleasand Loch swomeng full of fyne perchis.
9.
a. To float, be immersed or steeped, in a fluid; also in figurative context (cf. 9b).
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > liquid > condition of being or making wet > action or process of soaking or steeping > be soaked or steeped [verb (intransitive)]
soakc1000
fleet1297
steepc1412
swimc1450
soga1552
macerate1612
sug1633
sapple1836
marinate1984
c1450 Mirk's Festial 14 Þay vndedyn hit [sc. a tomb], and fonden his bones swymmyng yn oyle.
a1586 Sir P. Sidney tr. Psalmes David (1823) xvii. viii Their eies doe swimme, their face doth shine in fatt.
1607 B. Jonson Volpone i. iii. sig. C When you do come to swim, in golden lard, Vp to the armes, in honey. View more context for this quotation
1655 N. Culpeper et al. tr. L. Rivière Pract. Physick ii. vi. 337 The Water corrupted in the Abdomen, doth also corrupt the Bowels that swim therein.
1663 Unfort. Usurper i. ii. 5 I expected to see him almost drown'd with sorrow, But find him swiming, and almost drown'd in's Liquor.
1698 J. Fryer New Acct. E.-India & Persia 188 Rice thrives best in Watery Places, it swimming always therein till Harvest.
1719 J. Ozell tr. F. M. Misson Mem. Trav. Eng. 314 Five or six Heaps of Cabbage..or some other Herbs.., well pepper'd and salted, and swimming in Butter.
1719 A. Ramsay Epist. to Hamilton (Herrings) i Your herrings..In healsome brine a' soumin.
1775 R. Chandler Trav. Asia Minor viii. 29 A cotton-wick swimming in oil.
b. figurative. To be immersed or sunk in pleasure, grief, etc.; †to abound in.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > [verb (intransitive)] > be sunk in emotion
swimc1412
welter1629
the world > relative properties > quantity > sufficient quantity, amount, or degree > abundance > make abundant [verb (transitive)] > abound in or with
flourishc1380
to flow with (in, of)1382
redound1483
fleeta1500
swim1526
rebound1535
abound1591
c1412 T. Hoccleve De Regimine Principum 1254 They þat swymmen in richesse Continuelly, and han prosperitee.
1526 Bible (Tyndale) 2 Thess. i. 3 Every one of you swymmeth in love towarde another betwene youre selves.
1575 G. Gascoigne Hundred Flowers in Wks. (1907) I. 94 I seeme to swime in such a sugred joye, As did (parcase) entise them to delight.
1590 E. Spenser Faerie Queene ii. iii. sig. P4 There thou maist loue, and dearly loued be, And swim in pleasure.
1637 G. Gillespie Dispute against Eng.-Popish Ceremonies iv. vi. 30 They slept upon beds of yvorie, and swimmed in excessive pleasures upon their couches.
a1644 F. Quarles Solomons Recantation (1645) Soliloquy iii. 16 At noon we swim in wine; at night, in tears.
a1649 R. Crashaw Carmen Deo Nostro (1652) 58 She sees her son..swimme In woes that were not made for Him.
1667 J. Milton Paradise Lost ix. 1009 As with new Wine intoxicated both [sc. Adam and Eve] They swim in mirth. View more context for this quotation
1776 H. Brooke Fool of Quality (rev. ed.) IV. xvii. 97 My soul swims in delight.
10.
a. To be covered or filled with fluid; to be drenched, overflowed, or flooded. Const. with, in.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > liquid > condition of being or making wet > condition of being or making very wet > be or become very wet [verb (intransitive)] > be very wet
runc1225
adrenchc1230
swima1542
float1725
a1542 T. Wyatt Coll. Poems (1969) cvi. 7 When the forowse swymmed with the rain.
1560 Bible (Geneva) Psalms vi. 6 I cause my bed every night to swimme.
1560 J. Daus tr. J. Sleidane Commentaries f. cclj While they seke howe to make slaughter in Germanye, and that all thynge maye swymme full of theyr blud, that professe Chryst.
1595 W. S. Lamentable Trag. Locrine ii. v. 66 The currents swift swimme violently with blood.
a1658 J. Cleveland On Inundation of River Trent in Wks. (1687) 293 Some say the Meadows swim, some say they'r drown'd.
1697 J. Dryden tr. Virgil Æneis iii, in tr. Virgil Wks. 291 With spouting Blood the Purple Pavement swims.
1709 R. Steele Tatler No. 104. ⁋1 To see her Eyes swimming in Tears of Affection.
1711 J. Addison Spectator No. 83. ¶1 When the Heavens are filled with Clouds, when the Earth swims in Rain.
1735 S. Johnson tr. J. Lobo Voy. Abyssinia 54 Every thing they eat smells strong and swims with Butter.
1828 E. Bulwer-Lytton Pelham II. xvii. 165 Ellen, whose eyes swam in tears, as they gazed upon her brother.
1883 J. Gilmour Among Mongols xiv. 160 Great parts of this causeway swim with deep black mud.
1891 F. W. Farrar Darkness & Dawn II. lxvi. 330 The marble floors of the Temple of Jerusalem swam in blood.
b. figurative. To be full to overflowing with.
ΘΚΠ
the world > space > place > presence > fact of taking up space > take up space [verb (intransitive)] > be or become full > to overflowing
overfloweOE
to run over1530
swim1548
burst1563
to set over1608
swellc1616
to brim over1858
1548 N. Udall et al. tr. Erasmus Paraphr. Newe Test. I. Luke v. f. 67 Whereas them~selfes swimmed as full as theyr skinnes might holde of many great vices.
1614 D. Dyke Myst. Selfe-deceiuing iv. 56 The wickeds table, though swimming neuer so much with dainties.
1676 J. Bunyan Strait Gate in Wks. (1692) 636/2 Beware..of the Man whose Head swims with Notions, but his Life is among the unclean.
1780 H. Walpole Vertue's Anecd. Painting (ed. 2) IV. v. 91 The eyes swimming with youth and tenderness.
1845 G. Oliver Coll. Biogr. Soc. Jesus 76 He tells Dorothy in a letter, that his heart is now swimming with joy.
1895 G. Meredith Amazing Marriage I. iv. 40 The upper sky swam with violet.
1902 R. W. Chambers Maids of Paradise vi. 93 The room in the turret was now [sc. after the battle] swimming in smoke and lime dust.
II. Transitive senses.† 15. To carry (a publication) to success. Obsolete.
11.
a. To traverse or cover (a certain distance) by swimming. Also, to perform (a stroke or evolution) by swimming.
ΘΚΠ
the world > movement > progressive motion > moving with current of air or water > movement in or on water > move in or on water [verb (transitive)] > swim (a distance or a stroke)
swimc1000
sport1654
c1000 Epist. Alex. ad Arist. in Cockayne Narrat. Angl. (1861) 10 Þa hie ða hæfdon feorðan dæl þære ea geswummen.
c1290 St. Brendan 169 in S. Eng. Leg. 224 He suam more þan tuei myle.
a1586 Sir P. Sidney Arcadia (1590) ii. xxiv. sig. Ee3v I had swomme a very little way.
1600 W. Shakespeare Midsummer Night's Dream ii. i. 174 Be thou here againe Ere the Leuiathan can swimme a league. View more context for this quotation
a1616 W. Shakespeare Tempest (1623) iii. ii. 13 I swam ere I could recouer the shore, fiue and thirtie Leagues. View more context for this quotation
1848 Blackwood's Edinb. Mag. Dec. 723/1 Gazing at the gold-fish that swam their monotonous circle in the basin.
1893 F. M. Crawford Children of King I. iv. 114 He could not swim a stroke.
b. To glide smoothly through. rare.
ΘΚΠ
the world > movement > progressive motion > specific manner of progressive motion > move or cause to move progressively in specific manner [verb (transitive)] > cause to move along smoothly > move smoothly through
swim1725
1725 W. Broome in A. Pope et al. tr. Homer Odyssey II. vi. 188 Stately in the dance you swim th' harmonious maze.
12.
a. To pass or cross by swimming; to move in, on, or over by swimming; to swim across.
ΘΚΠ
the world > movement > progressive motion > moving with current of air or water > movement in or on water > move in or on water [verb (transitive)] > swim (a distance or a stroke) > swim through, over, or on
through-swimeOE
overswimOE
swima1616
beswim1805
a1616 W. Shakespeare Two Gentlemen of Verona (1623) i. i. 26 You are ouer-bootes in loue, And yet you neuer swom the Hellespont. View more context for this quotation
1667 J. Milton Paradise Lost i. 202 That Sea-beast Leviathan, which God of all his works Created hugest that swim th' Ocean stream. View more context for this quotation
1697 J. Dryden tr. Virgil Æneis iv, in tr. Virgil Wks. 319 Parti-colour'd Fowl, Which haunt the Woods, or swim the weedy Pool.
1746 J. Hervey Medit. (1769) I. 203 All that wing the Firmament, or tread the Soil, or swim the Wave.
1813 W. Scott Rokeby vi. 274 The otter.., prowling by the moon-beam cool, Watches the stream or swims the pool.
1841 M. Elphinstone Hist. India I. v. iv. 617 They swam the river to the spot where the king's tent was pitched.
b. To float on the surface of (water). rare.
ΘΚΠ
the world > movement > progressive motion > moving with current of air or water > movement in or on water > move in or on water [verb (transitive)] > move on surface of
float1705
swim1855
1855 R. C. Singleton tr. Virgil Georgics ii, in tr. Virgil Wks. I. 137 Nor less, too, swims the seething surge The buoyant alder, wafted on the Po.
13.
a. To cause (an animal) to swim, esp. across a river, etc.
ΘΚΠ
the world > movement > progressive motion > moving with current of air or water > movement in or on water > move in or on water [verb (transitive)] > swim (a distance or a stroke) > cause to swim
swim1639
1639 T. de Gray Compl. Horseman ii. xviii. 306 After swim him, and apply bathes.
1714 tr. H. Joutel Jrnl. Last Voy. M. de la Sale (1719) 133 Handing over our Goods from one to another, and swimming over our Horses.
1722 Acts Assembly Pennsylv. (1762) I. 96 For every Cow or other neat Cattle, boated or swam, Three Half-pence.
1817 W. Scott Rob Roy III. vi. 162 Sometimes swimming their horses, sometimes losing them and struggling for their own lives.
1890 R. L. Stevenson Let. to H. James (1899) II. 213 The place is awkward to reach on horseback. I had to swim my horse the last time I went to dinner.
1903 J. Morley Life Gladstone I. i. ii. 47 How he..swam the Newfoundland dog in the pond.
b. To convey by swimming. rare.
ΘΚΠ
the world > movement > progressive motion > moving with current of air or water > movement in or on water > move in or on water [verb (transitive)] > swim (a distance or a stroke) > convey by swimming
swim1613
1613 T. Heywood Brazen Age i. B 4 b I'le vndertake to swimme her Vnto the furthest strond, vpon my shoulders.
1939 A. Ransome Secret Water xxvi. 315 You'll just have to lie on your back and keep still, and I'm going to swim you ashore.
1953 Sun Mag. (Baltimore) 25 Oct. 29/1 The gun fires and the bay dog is over with a splash. Exultantly he swims the dead game back to his master.
c. To cause (something) to pass over the surface of water; to float.
ΘΚΠ
the world > movement > progressive motion > moving with current of air or water > movement in or on water > move in or on water [verb (transitive)] > move on surface of > cause to move on surface
swim1743
1743 J. Bulkeley & J. Cummins Voy. to South-seas 160 The People swam off three Casks of Water.
1800 T. Moore tr. Anacreon Odes lii. 5 Teach me this, and let me swim My soul upon the goblet's brim.
1836 T. Hook Gilbert Gurney I. 38 Two of the boys proceeded to a pond, for the purpose of swimming a gallipot.
d. Of a rushing force of water: To carry or sweep away in its course.
ΘΚΠ
the world > movement > transference > [verb (transitive)] > convey or transport > off or away > of wind or water
sweep1742
swim1858
1858 T. Carlyle Hist. Friedrich II of Prussia II. ix. x. 522 Two villages, Fuhrenheim and Sandhausen, it swam away, every stick of them.
1865 T. Carlyle Hist. Friedrich II of Prussia VI. xx. vii. 178 Reach the bridge before it be swum away.
14.
a. To cause to float; to buoy up.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > liquid > action or process of floating > cause to float [verb (transitive)]
to set afloat (on float)1586
swim1669
float1853
1669 S. Sturmy Mariners Mag. v. xii. 81 5 Tun of Cask will swim a Canon of 8 or 9000 weight.
1779 Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) 70 107 This deck..was laid at five feet five inches above the bottom of the keel,..and swam the ship at twelve feet five inches water.
1800 S. Standige in Naval Chron. 3 474 Cann Buoys to swim the buoy-rope,..are the most buoyant.
1820 W. Scoresby Acct. Arctic Regions II. 478 We had not before ascertained how far the contrivance of swimming the ship by the ceiling could be depended on.
1842 Jrnl. Royal Agric. Soc. 3 ii. 303 Steep the seed in brine that will swim an egg.
1854 Bowlker's Art of Angling (rev. ed.) 58 Put on a cork float sufficiently large to swim a Gudgeon, or large Minnow, at mid-water.
b. To put (a person suspected of witchcraft) to the ordeal of being immersed in water, the proof of innocence being that the person did not sink.
ΘΚΠ
society > law > administration of justice > court proceedings or procedure > trying or hearing of cause > try or hear cause [verb (transitive)] > put to specific ordeal
swim1718
1718 F. Hutchinson Hist. Ess. conc. Witchcraft iv. 65 Hopkins [the Witch-finder] went on searching, and swimming the poor Creatures.
1748 in Gentleman's Mag. Mar. (1867) 320 Alice, the wife of Thomas Green, labourer, was swam, malicious..people having raised an ill report of her for being a witch.
1818 W. Scott Heart of Mid-Lothian iii, in Tales of my Landlord 2nd Ser. IV. 59 The folk are speaking o' swimming her i' the Eden.
1825 Ann. Reg., Chron. 98/1 A man was swam for a wizard at Wickham-Keith..in the presence of some hundreds of people!
c. To furnish sufficient depth of water for (something) to swim or float in.
ΘΚΠ
the world > the earth > water > body of water > [verb (transitive)] > furnish sufficient depth to swim in
swim1794
the world > matter > liquid > action or process of floating > cause to float [verb (transitive)] > furnish sufficient depth of water for flotation
swim1794
1794 N. Parry Jrnl. 23 May in Kentucky Hist. Soc. Reg. (1936) XXXIV. 380 Forded Buffaloe Creek, at the mouth, which did not quite swim them [sc. the horses].
1815 W. Scott Guy Mannering I. ix. 136 We'll drink the young Laird's health in a bowl that would swim the collector's yawl.
1817 M. Birkbeck Notes Journey Amer. (1818) 82 I guess it [sc. the creek] will swim your horse.
1887 I. Randall Lady's Ranche Life Montana 25 Wide rivers, very rapid and almost deep enough to swim a horse.
d. (See quot. 1864.)
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > liquid > condition of being or making wet > action or process of immersing or dipping > immerse or dip [verb (transitive)] > in water > so that the lighter parts may float off
swim1864
1864 Webster's Amer. Dict. Eng. Lang. Swim, v.t...2. To immerse in water that the lighter parts may swim; as, to swim wheat for seed.
ΘΚΠ
society > communication > printing > publishing > publish [verb (transitive)] > carry a publication to success
swim1870
1870 ‘M. Twain’ Lett. to Publishers (1967) 45 Launch a book right on our big tidal wave and swim it into a success.
1890 G. Meredith Let. 19 Nov. (1970) II. 1012 If clogged with the letter-press, I should have my doubts of success, even with his name to swim the book.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1919; most recently modified version published online June 2022).
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n.1547
v.OE