swarm

¹

[swawrm]

noun

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

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

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

   Synonyms: mass, host, horde

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

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

verb (used without object)

1. to fly off together in a swarm, as bees.

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

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

4. (of a place) to be thronged or overrun; abound or teem.

   The beach swarms with children on summer weekends.

5. Biology.,  to move or swim about in a swarm.

verb (used with object)

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

2. to produce a swarm of.

swarm

²

[swawrm]

verb (used with or without object)

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

swarm

¹

/ swɔːm /

noun

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

2. a large mass of small animals, esp insects

3. a throng or mass, esp when moving or in turmoil

verb

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

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

3. to overrun or be overrun (with)

   the house swarmed with rats

4. (tr) to cause to swarm

swarm

²

/ swɔːm /

verb

1. to climb (a ladder, etc) by gripping with the hands and feet

   the boys swarmed up the rigging

Other Word Forms

• swarmer noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of swarm¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English swearm; cognate with German Schwarm swarm, Old Norse svarmr “tumult”; the verb is derivative of the noun

Origin of swarm²

First recorded in 1540–50; origin uncertain

Word History and Origins

Origin of swarm¹

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

Origin of swarm²

C16: of unknown origin

Synonym Study

See crowd ¹.

Example Sentences

Every time she opens her mouth I swear a swarm of horseflies and pestilence are released to consume the countryside.

Read more on Salon

As emergency vehicles swarmed the area, the White House, located a few blocks from where the attack took place, and several embassies in the area went into lockdown.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

This combination of chemical and biological changes indicates that the quake swarm temporarily boosted the resources available to deep microbial life.

Read more on Science Daily

“Today, Border Patrol targeted Long Beach, swarming the streets again and taking gardeners, old men and a 12-pack of beer that they had,” he began.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

It’s a high price for the neighborhood — most two-bedroom apartments nearby fall in the $3,000 range — but interested renters still swarmed.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• congregate 
• crawl 
• flock 
• gather 
• overrun 
• stream 
• teem 
• throng