any of several large, stately aquatic birds of the subfamily Anserinae, having a long, slender neck and usually pure-white plumage in the adult.
a person or thing of unusual beauty, excellence, purity, or the like.
Literary. a person who sings sweetly or a poet.
Astronomy. Swan, the constellation Cygnus.
any large aquatic bird of the genera Cygnus and Coscoroba, having a long neck and usually a white plumage: family Anatidae, order Anseriformes
rare
a poet
( capital when part of a title or epithet )
the Swan of Avon (Shakespeare)
First recorded before 900; Middle English, Old English; cognate with German Schwan, Old Norse svanr
1775–85, probably continuing dial. (N England) I s'wan, shortening of I shall warrant
In "The Ugly Duckling," a young bird is mistaken for a duck until it grows up to be a beautiful swan. A swan is a large bird with a long, elegant neck. You're most likely to see swans in the water, but they also spend some time on land. Baby swans are called cygnets, and as adults, they're either cobs (if male), or pens (if female). If you're lucky enough to see a whole group of swans swimming or flying together, you can call it a bevy of swans. Swan comes from a root meaning "to sing."
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Katie Swan became the first British singles player to reach the second round at this year's Wimbledon, but Katie Boulter fell to a disappointing defeat by a qualifier on day two.
From BBC • Jun. 30, 2026
But Swan held her nerve and eventually sealed a hard-fought win on her fifth match point.
From BBC • Jun. 30, 2026
Swan first came to prominence when she reached the 2015 Australian Open girls' singles final aged 15.
From BBC • Jun. 30, 2026
Swan was plagued with persistent back injuries and was often forcing herself to play through immense pain.
From BBC • Jun. 30, 2026
“So there’re no swans in Black Swan Green?”
From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
