swab
noun
a large mop used on shipboard for cleaning decks, living quarters, etc.
swabbed
-
past participleof swab.past participle
A verb form used in perfect and passive verb constructions and that can also function as a modifier.
-
past tense formof swab.past tense
Used to describe completed actions or previous habitual actions.
swabnouna large mop used on shipboard for cleaning decks, living quarters, etc.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Tamasi swabbed for DNA samples in Spivey’s truck—door handles and such.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 5, 2026
Officials swabbed his cheek to obtain DNA, and then moved him to Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 13, 2026
When someone goes to their GP or hospital with flu-like symptoms, they can be swabbed and tested for influenza, Covid, RSV and other viruses.
From BBC ● Dec. 18, 2025
And though a forensics expert swabbed the interior of the yacht for explosives, there were no testing facilities on the island, said Allan Galbraith, the superintendent in charge of Operation Rainbow.
From Slate ● Jul. 22, 2025
Eventually a nurse led me to a small white room where she weighed me, took my blood pressure, and swabbed my tongue.
From "Educated" by Tara Westover
