swabbing

swab

also swob S0929200 (swŏb)n.1. a. A small piece of absorbent material attached to the end of a stick or wire and used for cleansing a surface, applying medicine, or collecting a sample of a substance.b. A sample collected with a swab.2. A sponge or patch of absorbent material used to clean the bore of a firearm or cannon.3. A mop used for cleaning floors or decks.4. Slang A sailor.5. Slang A lout.tr.v. swabbed, swab·bing, swabs also swobbed or swob·bing or swobs 1. To use a swab on.2. To clean with a swab.3. To collect a sample from (a person, for example) using a swab.

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[Back-formation from swabber, mop for a ship's deck (from obsolete Dutch *zwabber, from zwabben, to mop) or from obsolete Dutch swabbe, mop (from Middle Dutch).]

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

swabbing - cleaning with a mop; "he gave it a good mopping"moppingscrubbing, scouring, scrub - the act of cleaning a surface by rubbing it with a brush and soap and water