swab

Significat (anglès)

Noun

1. A small piece of soft, absorbent material, such as gauze, used to clean wounds, apply medicine, or take samples of body fluids. Often attached to a stick or wire to aid access.
2. A sample taken with a swab (piece of absorbent material).
3. A piece of material used for cleaning or sampling other items like musical instruments or guns.
4. A mop, especially on a ship.
5. (slang) A sailor; a swabby.
6. (slang) A naval officer's epaulet.

Verb

To use a swab on something, or clean something with a swab.

Sinònims

mop

swob

wipe

sailor

wash

🧽

scrub

dab

pad

padding

pass over

plaster

rag

rake

rub

rub off

seaman

skim

smear

sponge

🧽

sweep

wad

whisk

whistle

cotton ball

cotton bud

swing out

dab off

pumping action

hand broom

dab away

absorbent cotton

Unguentum

clean

clout

gauze

gob

graze

mop up

Pronunciat com a (IPA)

/swɒb/

Etimologia (anglès)

Mid 17th century (in the sense 'mop for cleaning the decks'): back-formation from Middle English swabber (“sailor detailed to swab decks”), from Middle Dutch zwabber, from a Germanic base meaning 'splash' or 'sway', also found as nautical German Schwabber and Volga German Schwabber ("scrubber, mop, swab")