swarm

¹

[swawrm]

noun

1. a body of honeybees that emigrate from a hive and fly off together, accompanied by a queen, to start a new colony.

2. a body of bees settled together, as in a hive.

3. a great number of things or persons, especially in motion.

   Synonyms: mass, host, horde

4. Biology.,  a group or aggregation of free-floating or free-swimming cells or organisms.

5. Geology.,  a cluster of earthquakes or other geologic phenomena or features.

verb (used without object)

1. to fly off together in a swarm, as bees.

2. to move about, along, forth, etc., in great numbers, as things or persons.

3. to congregate, hover, or occur in groups or multitudes; be exceedingly numerous, as in a place or area.

4. (of a place) to be thronged or overrun; abound or teem.

   The beach swarms with children on summer weekends.

5. Biology.,  to move or swim about in a swarm.

verb (used with object)

1. to swarm about, over, or in; throng; overrun.

2. to produce a swarm of.

swarm

²

[swawrm]

verb (used with or without object)

1. to climb by clasping with the legs and hands or arms and drawing oneself up; shin.

swarm

¹

/ swɔːm /

noun

1. a group of social insects, esp bees led by a queen, that has left the parent hive in order to start a new colony

2. a large mass of small animals, esp insects

3. a throng or mass, esp when moving or in turmoil

verb

1. (intr) (of small animals, esp bees) to move in or form a swarm

2. (intr) to congregate, move about or proceed in large numbers

3. to overrun or be overrun (with)

   the house swarmed with rats

4. (tr) to cause to swarm

swarm

²

/ swɔːm /

verb

1. to climb (a ladder, etc) by gripping with the hands and feet

   the boys swarmed up the rigging

Other Word Forms

• swarmer noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of swarm¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English swearm; cognate with German Schwarm swarm, Old Norse svarmr “tumult”; the verb is derivative of the noun

Origin of swarm²

First recorded in 1540–50; origin uncertain

Word History and Origins

Origin of swarm¹

Old English swearm; related to Old Norse svarmr uproar, Old High German swaram swarm

Origin of swarm²

C16: of unknown origin

Synonym Study

See crowd ¹.

Example Sentences

An unusual number of ladybirds, swarming and clustering together in homes is being reported on social media this week.

Read more on BBC

From there, he uses Tom to enact his next escape, forcing him to drive them away from Robbie’s house, which he assumes will soon be swarming with cops, or homicidal bikers, or both.

Read more on Salon

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents swarmed a licensed cannabis farm in Camarillo, detaining hundreds of workers.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Watch the moment play is interrupted following a large swarm of files distracting the players in the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup match between India and Pakistan in Columbo.

Read more on BBC

Every day, some of L.A.’s poorest residents line up outside the county benefits office in South Central, weaving their way through a swarm of salesmen hawking deals that feel too good to be true.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• congregate 
• crawl 
• flock 
• gather 
• overrun 
• stream 
• teem 
• throng