swab

¹ American  

[swob] / swɒb /

noun

1. a large mop used on shipboard for cleaning decks, living quarters, etc.

2. a bit of sponge, cloth, cotton, or the like, sometimes fixed to a stick, for cleansing the mouth of a sick person or for applying medicaments, drying areas, etc.

3. the material collected with a swab as a specimen for microscopic study.

4. a brush or wad of absorbent material for cleaning the bore of a firearm.

5. Slang. a sailor; swabby.

6. Slang. a clumsy fellow.

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verb (used with object)

swabbed, swabbing

1. to clean with or as if with a swab.

   to swab the decks.

2. to take up or apply, as moisture, with or as if with a swab.

   to swab soapy water from the decks.

3. to pass over a surface.

   to swab a mop over the decks.

Swab. ² American  

abbreviation

1. Swabia.

2. Swabian.

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swab British  

/ swɒb /

noun

1. med

   1. a small piece of cotton, gauze, etc, for use in applying medication, cleansing a wound, or obtaining a specimen of a secretion, etc

   2. the specimen so obtained

2. a mop for cleaning floors, decks, etc

3. a brush used to clean a firearm's bore

4. slang an uncouth or worthless fellow

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verb

1. (tr) to clean or medicate with or as if with a swab

2. to take up with a swab

Other Word Forms

• unswabbed adjective

Etymology

Origin of swab

First recorded in 1645–55; back formation from swabber

Example Sentences

To avoid contamination, Dana puts on a face shield and opens the kit, which is a rectangle-shaped box that contains items like paper bags to store evidence and swabs for collecting biological samples.

From Los Angeles Times

They rolled him over, tilted his chin up, and swabbed out his mouth.

From Literature

This approach revealed genetic material from PRV in archived throat swabs.

From Science Daily

Ruth says she had been left in so much pain that she went to her GP, who sent her to hospital for swabs and an examination.

From BBC

Officials swabbed his cheek to obtain DNA, and then moved him to Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• daub
• mop