He had also swum the river to the bar on the lower point of Monocacy Island, going almost the entire distance under water.
Mr. Stone was swimming, slower than man had ever swum before.
Both ships and shore were too distant for him to have swum to either.
swum ashore, man, like a duck: I can swim 120 like a duck, Ill be sworn.
Castellan had swum round, and they took her under the arms to give her a rest.
One of the scoundrels had swum round, was in the boat, and cutting her away.
I had changed my clothes for the duck trousers and shirt which I had swum on board in, and I now remained quietly in the cabin.
Had I swum another yard, I should have passed the boat, and missed her altogether!
He had begun to undress, when Blake, who had swum half-way across the stream, gave a sudden cry.
She brought them up the river; and then they were dumped into the water, and swum ashore.
Old English swimman "to move in or on the water, float" (class III strong verb; past tense swamm, past participle swummen), from Proto-Germanic *swemjanan (cf. Old Saxon and Old High German swimman, Old Norse svimma, Dutch zwemmen, German schwimmen), from PIE root *swem- "to be in motion."
The root is sometimes said to be restricted to Germanic, but possible cognates are Welsh chwyf "motion," Old Irish do-sennaim "I hunt," Lithuanian sundyti "to chase." For the usual Indo-European word, see natatorium. Sense of "reel or move unsteadily" first recorded 1670s; of the head or brain, from 1702. Figurative phrase sink or swim is attested from mid-15c., often with reference to ordeals of suspected witches.
1540s, "the clear part of any liquid" (above the sediment), from swim (v.). Meaning "part of a river or stream frequented by fish" (and hence fishermen) is from 1828, and is probably the source of the figurative meaning "the current of the latest affairs or events" (1869).
1540s, "the clear part of any liquid" (above the sediment), from swim (v.). Meaning "part of a river or stream frequented by fish" (and hence fishermen) is from 1828, and is probably the source of the figurative meaning "the current of the latest affairs or events" (1869).
verb
To perform well; succeed; fly: I didn't think the Harptones quite swam last time I saw them
[1970s+; perhaps fr sink or swim]
