swarm

[ swawrm ]

/ swɔrm /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR swarm ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

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

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

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

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

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

verb (used without object)

to fly off together in a swarm, as bees.

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

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

(of a place) to be thronged or overrun; abound or teem: The beach swarms with children on summer weekends.

Biology. to move or swim about in a swarm.

verb (used with object)

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

to produce a swarm of.

Nearby words

swaption, swaraj, sward, sware, swarf, swarm, swarm cell, swarm intelligence, swart, swarth, swarthout

Origin of swarm

before 900; (noun) Middle English; Old English swearm; cognate with German Schwarm swarm, Old Norse svarmr tumult; (v.) Middle English swarmen, derivative of the noun

SYNONYMS FOR swarm

3 horde, host, mass.

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Related formsswarm·er, noun

Synonym study

3. See crowd¹.

Definition for swarm (2 of 2)

swarm

[ swawrm ]

/ swɔrm /

verb (used with or without object)

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

Origin of swarm

First recorded in 1540–50; origin uncertain

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for swarm

He was prepared to swarm the island—not directly, but through Brooklyn.
The British Royals Reinvade Brooklyn: William and Kate Come Watch Basketball on Historic Battle Site|Justin Jones|December 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Stalwarts hoped to swarm the convention and force a challenge to the delegate roll.
The GOP’s Last Identity Crisis Remade U.S. Politics|Michael Wolraich|July 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
When he struck, Brown wrote, “The bees will begin to swarm.”
When Robert E. Lee Met John Brown and Saved the Union|Michael Korda|May 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
While he was doing that, Marion Barry was still holding court for a swarm of reporters back towards the stage.
20 Years After Marion Barry, D.C. Voters Boot a Scandal-Tainted Mayor|Ben Jacobs|April 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Normally an air accident investigation would involve a swarm of hard-nosed engineers and scientists poring over wreckage.
The New Fear of Flying After MH370|Clive Irving|March 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The parasites and harpies which M. de Cherville had kept at bay came down upon him like a swarm of locusts.
An Englishman in Paris|Albert D. (Albert Dresden) Vandam
Kenniston, unable to turn from the life-or-death business of threading the swarm, heard the Jovian fighting furiously.
The World with a Thousand Moons|Edmond Hamilton
The cause of her peevishness was a swarm of intensely active flies.
Anderson Crow, Detective|George Barr McCutcheon
Peterkin was quite safe, hugging the bottom of the shell crater under a swarm of hornets.
The Last Shot|Frederick Palmer
Mr. Colton's patent hive, it is said, can be made to swarm "at any time within two days," merely for want of room.
Mysteries of Bee-keeping Explained|M. Quinby

British Dictionary definitions for swarm (1 of 2)

swarm

/ (swɔːm) /

noun

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

a large mass of small animals, esp insects

a throng or mass, esp when moving or in turmoil

verb

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

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

(when intr, often foll by with) to overrun or be overrun (with)the house swarmed with rats

(tr) to cause to swarm

Word Origin for swarm

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

British Dictionary definitions for swarm (2 of 2)

swarm

/ (swɔːm) /

verb

(when intr, usually foll by up) to climb (a ladder, etc) by gripping with the hands and feetthe boys swarmed up the rigging

Word Origin for swarm

C16: of unknown origin

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

Word Origin and History for swarm (1 of 3)

swarm

"cloud of bees or other insects," Old English swearm, from Proto-Germanic *swarmaz (cf. Old Saxon, Middle Low German swarm, Swedish svärm, Middle Dutch swerm, Old High German swarm, German Schwarm "swarm;" Old Norse svarmr "tumult"), usually derived from PIE imitative root *swer- (2) "to buzz, whisper" (see susurration) on notion of humming sound. But OED suggests possible connection with base of swerve and ground sense of "agitated, confused, or deflected motion."

Word Origin and History for swarm (1 of 3)

swarm

v.1

"to climb by clasping with the arms and legs alternately," 1540s, perhaps originally a sailors' word, of uncertain origin. Also recorded as swarve (16c.) and in Northern dialects swarble, swarmle.

Word Origin and History for swarm (2 of 3)

swarm

v.2

"to leave a hive to start another," late 14c., from swarm (n.). Related: Swarmed; swarming.

swarm

noun

verb (used without object)

verb (used with object)

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Nearby words

Origin of swarm

Synonym study

Definition for swarm (2 of 2)

swarm

verb (used with or without object)

Origin of swarm

Examples from the Web for swarm

British Dictionary definitions for swarm (1 of 2)

swarm

noun

verb

Word Origin for swarm

British Dictionary definitions for swarm (2 of 2)

swarm

verb

Word Origin for swarm

Word Origin and History for swarm (1 of 3)

swarm

Word Origin and History for swarm (1 of 3)

swarm

Word Origin and History for swarm (2 of 3)

swarm