swan dive
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noun Diving.
a forward dive in which the diver while in the air assumes a position with the arms outstretched at shoulder height and the legs straight and together, and enters the water with the arms stretched above the head.
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First appeared in 1555, and is related to the French word “raquette” for a netted bat.
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Also called, especially British, swallow dive.
Origin of swan dive
An Americanism dating back to 1895–1900
Words nearby swan dive
swamp sparrow, swamp white oak, swampy, swamy, swan, swan dive, Swanee, swang, Swan-Ganz catheter, swanherd, swank
Definition for swan dive (2 of 2)
swan-dive
[ swon-dahyv ]
/ ˈswɒnˌdaɪv /
verb (used without object), swan-dived, swan-div·ing.
to perform a swan dive.
to decrease suddenly and decisively; plummet: Stock prices swan-dived overnight.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for swan dive
British Dictionary definitions for swan dive
swan dive
noun
US and Canadian a type of dive in which the diver arches back while in the air, keeping his legs straight and together and his arms outstretched, finally entering the water headfirstAlso called (in Britain and certain other countries): swallow dive
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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