swackn.
/swak/, U.S. /swæk/, Scottish English /swak/ Chiefly Scottish.
A hard blow; a whack, bang. Also, a violent dash or impetus.
ΘΚΠ
the world > movement > impelling or driving > [noun] > impulse > sudden or violent
swackc1425
sturt1674
bangc1774
the world > movement > impact > striking > striking with specific degree of force > [noun] > striking violently > a violent blow
lashc1330
birrc1400
dushc1400
swackc1425
reboundc1503
pash1611
slam1622
stoter1694
blizzard1829
dinger1845
c1425 Wyntoun Cron. ix. xii. 1506 Withe a swak þar of his suerde..abuf þe fut He straik þe Lyndissay to þe bane.
c1480 (a1400) St. Peter 586 in W. M. Metcalfe Legends Saints Sc. Dial. (1896) I. 24 He tuk sic a swak, þat harnise, and sched, & body, all fruschit in peciss.
1487 (a1380) J. Barbour Bruce (St. John's Cambr.) v. 643 The king sic swak him gaiff, That he the hede till harnys claif.
a1500 R. Henryson tr. Æsop Fables: Fox, Wolf, & Cadger l. 2076 in Poems (1981) 80 He hint him be the heillis, And with ane swak he swang him on the creillis.
1513 G. Douglas tr. Virgil Æneid i. iii. 22 The jaw of the watter brak, And in ane heip come on thame with ane swak.
1513 G. Douglas tr. Virgil Æneid v. viii. 10 Now, hand to hand, the dint lichtis with a swak.
c1540 J. Bellenden tr. H. Boece Hyst. & Cron. Scotl. xvii. viii. f. 248v/2 Sum tyme rasand this tratour..hie in ye aire, & leit hym fall doun with ane swak.
1819 W. Scott Bride of Lammermoor x, in Tales of my Landlord 3rd Ser. II. 248 The fell auld lord took the whig such a swauk wi' his broadsword that he made twa pieces o' his head.
1827 W. Tennant Papistry Storm'd 205 There were sic gouffs, and youffs, and swaks.
1886 C. Scott Pract. Sheep-farming 202 A small dog has less command over the sheep than a large one, which comes round with a heavy swack.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1918; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
swackadj.
/swak/, U.S. /swæk/, Scottish English /swak/ Scottish.
Supple; lithe and nimble; smart.
ΘΚΠ
the world > life > the body > loose or stiff condition > [adjective]
leathwakec1000
lithebyc1000
starka1275
stiffc1305
standing1340
bainc1440
waldinc1485
resolveda1500
supplea1500
lash1513
limber1582
sagging1599
laxed1623
unslakeda1625
laxated1652
springy1674
gangling1764
lithesome1768
swack1768
unslackened1770
lissoma1800
wandle1803
loose-limbed1823
loose1846
unslacked1848
saggy1853
loose-jointed1859
loose-hung1869
gangly1871
the world > movement > bodily movement > [adjective] > qualities of bodily movement > agile or nimble
lightOE
quiverOE
yepec1275
taitc1300
yap13..
delivera1375
swippera1387
wight1390
nimblea1400
yarea1400
yerna1400
smitherc1475
leger1483
agilea1500
liver1530
lightsome1567
wimble1579
nimble jointed1591
nimble shifting1591
agilious1599
nimbling1599
nimble spirited1611
expedite1612
fitchanta1616
airy1642
fantastic1645
volant1650
clever1691
light-limbed1695
spry1746
swack1768
swank1786
yauld1787
deliverly1820
slippy1847
nippy1849
springe1859
pantherish1869
pantherine1890
flippant1895
loose1907
Tarzanesque1933
Tarzan-like1943
the world > matter > constitution of matter > softness > pliableness > [adjective]
tougha700
lithyc1000
softc1330
weak?a1366
plianta1382
persha1398
plyinga1398
lithec1400
supplec1400
plicable?a1425
curvable?1440
lethec1440
scretec1440
pliablec1475
bowable1483
bowing1483
waldinc1485
supple1513
flexible1548
limber1565
lither1565
bending1567
osier1577
wiry1588
buxom1590
withy1598
suppliable1599
renderingc1600
fluxible1607
winding1609
bendable1611
flippant1622
flexive1629
flexile1633
maniable1633
compliant1667
flectible1705
limp1706
yieldy1757
complying1774
limberly1782
willowy1791
switchy1810
wandy1825
twistable1853
bendsome1861
whippy1867
swack1868
bendy1873
1768 A. Ross Fortunate Shepherdess i. 10 She was swak an' souple like a rae: Swack like an eel an' calour like a trout.
a1774 R. Fergusson Poems (1785) 145 'Twill mak ye souple, swack and young.
1828 P. Buchan Anc. Ballads & Songs N. Scotl. II. 260 The lassie being swack, ran to the door fu' snack.
1868 G. MacDonald Robert Falconer I. 272 A good slice of swack cheese.
1871 C. Gibbon For Lack of Gold xxxix A swack youth of about eighteen years of age.
1893 F. Mackenzie Cruisie Sketches (1894) xviii. 230 Her tongue was as swack as ever.
1894 J. Inglis Oor Ain Folk vi. 74 He wis a swack man the minister!
Derivatives
ˈswacken v. (intransitive) to become supple.
ΘΚΠ
the world > life > the body > loose or stiff condition > [verb (intransitive)]
stock1808
swacken1818
1818 G. Beattie John o' Arnha' (ed. 2) 23 Wi' that her joints began to swacken.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1918; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
swackv.
/swak/, U.S. /swæk/, Scottish English /swak/ Scottish.absolute.c1590 J. Stewart Poems (1913) 69 Thay suak and poulsis to and fro full fast.
1. transitive. To fling, dash; to brandish (a sword).
ΘΚΠ
the world > movement > impelling or driving > projecting through space or throwing > throw [verb (transitive)] > so as to impinge on something > forcibly
swapc1374
pashc1390
swackc1425
smashc1800
society > armed hostility > military equipment > operation and use of weapons > cut of sharp weapon > cut or thrust with sword > strike with sword [verb (transitive)] > (draw and) brandish
quetcheOE
swackc1425
vibrate1634
flash1801
outflourish1871
c1425 Wyntoun Cron. iv. iv. 380 That Cyrus suld him tak in yre, And swak him in a birnand fyre.
c1480 (a1400) St. Placidus 381 in W. M. Metcalfe Legends Saints Sc. Dial. (1896) II. 80 To swak sir eustace in þe se.
a1500 R. Henryson tr. Æsop Fables: Fox, Wolf, & Cadger l. 2081 in Poems (1981) 80 The hering ane and ane Out off the creillis he swakkit doun gude wane.
1513 G. Douglas tr. Virgil Æneid iii. ix. 114 The swelland swirl wphesit ws to hevin, Syne wald the wall swak ws doun full evin.
1513 G. Douglas tr. Virgil Æneid x. x. 78 Bald Lucagus swakkis a burnyst brand.
1578 J. Rolland Seuin Seages 74 In hir armes culd scho tak Ane mekill stane, and in the well did swak.
1616 Barbour's Actes & Life Bruce (Hart) 346 The Ingynour then gart bend in hy The gyn, and swakked [1487 St. John's Cambr. swappit; 1489 Adv. wappyt] out a stane.
1616 Barbour's Actes & Life Bruce (Hart) 201 And not for thy: yet was there ane Of them that swakked [1487 St. John's Cambr. swappit; 1489 Adv. swappyt] downe a stane.
18.. Battle of Otterbourne in Maidment Scot. Ballads (1868) I. 65 They swakked [v.r. swapped] their swords, till sair they sweat.
1892 J. Lumsden Sheep-head & Trotters 34 Syne swacked they swords in deidly wroth.
2. intransitive. To strike or dash heavily.
ΘΚΠ
the world > movement > impact > impinge [verb (intransitive)] > forcibly or violently
beatc885
pilta1200
smitec1300
dashc1305
pitchc1325
dushc1400
hitc1400
jouncec1440
hurl1470
swack1488
knock1530
jut1548
squat1587
bump1699
jowl1770
smash1835
lasha1851
ding1874
biff1904
wham1948
slam1973
the world > movement > impact > striking > striking with specific degree of force > strike with specific degree of force [verb (intransitive)] > heavily
swack1488
to lay load about or about one?1562
souse1590
1488 (c1478) Hary Actis & Deidis Schir William Wallace (Adv.) (1968–9) v. l. 195 At Wallace in the hed he swaket thar.
1827 W. Tennant Papistry Storm'd 147 Baith totterin' knichts were like to swak Upon the yird thegither.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1918; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
swackint.
/swak/ Imitative of the sound of a smart heavy blow.
ΘΠ
the world > physical sensation > hearing and noise > degree, kind, or quality of sound > sound of blow or fall > [interjection]
swack1673
paff1800
biff1843
plunk1876
pow1881
thunk1952
1673 E. Hickeringill Gregory 141 All stands [sic] aloft; swack, swack.
1884 G. H. Boughton in Harper's Mag. Dec. 73/1 The swack! swack! of the fagot-cutter's ‘bill-hook’.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1918; most recently modified version published online March 2018).
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n.c1425adj.1768v.c1425int.1673