swan-upping

[ swon-uhp-ing ]

nounBritish.

the taking up of young swans to mark them with nicks on the beak for identification.
an annual expedition for this purpose on the Thames.

Origin of swan-upping

1800–10; swan¹ + upping (up + -ing¹)

Words Nearby swan-upping

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use swan-upping in a sentence

This process was called “swan upping,” corrupted generally into “swan hopping.”
Rivers of Great Britain. The Thames, from Source to Sea. | Anonymous
The young cygnets were marked at the annual festival of “swan-upping,” at which the City magnates used hugely to enjoy themselves.
The Great North Road: London to York | Charles G. Harper
The time-honoured brutality of swan-upping is now mitigated by law, its cruelty being obvious.
The Naturalist on the Thames | C. J. Cornish
This is called "swan-upping," and a good time it used to be.
The Nursery, July 1881, Vol. XXX | Various

British Dictionary definitions for swan-upping

swan-upping

nounBritish

the practice or action of marking nicks in swans' beaks as a sign of ownership
the annual swan-upping of royal cygnets on the River Thames

Origin of swan-upping

C16: from up (in the archaic sense: to catch and mark a swan)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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