swipe

[ swahyp ]

/ swaɪp /

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See synonyms for swipe on Thesaurus.com

noun

a strong, sweeping blow, as with a cricket bat or golf club.

Informal. a swing of the arm in order to strike somebody; punch.

a sideswipe.

Informal. a critical or cutting remark.

a leverlike device for raising or lowering a weight, especially a bucket in a well; sweep.

an act or instance of swiping: You can debit your checking account with just a swipe of your card.

Also called rubber .Horse Racing. a person who rubs down horses in a stable; groom.

verb (used with object), swiped, swip·ing.

to strike with a sweeping blow.

Informal. to steal: He'll swipe anything that isn't nailed down.

to slide (a magnetic card) quickly through an electronic device that reads data.

Digital Technology. to move a finger or fingers, or a stylus, across an area on (a touchscreen) in order to execute a command: Put your finger on the arrow and swipe the screen to the right to unlock your phone.

verb (used without object), swiped, swip·ing.

to make a sweeping stroke.

to slide a magnetic card through an electronic device.

Digital Technology. to move the fingers across a touchscreen: Swipe to the right to close the article.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of swipe

1730–40; akin to sweep¹; cognate with German schweifen

Words nearby swipe

swingy, swinish, swink, Swinnerton, swinney, swipe, swipe card, swipes, swipple, swirl, swirly

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

How to use swipe in a sentence

Instead of using physical buttons, the right cup features swipe gestures to adjust volume or switch tracks.
Electronics and exercise gear that make excellent gifts|PopSci Commerce Team|October 8, 2020|Popular-Science
Helmed by licensed real estate broker Hannah Bomze, Casa Blanca introduces dating app-like swipe technology, combining machine learning with real-life insight from some of New York City’s most experienced real estate agents.
Meet the app that wants to be the Bumble of real estate|Rachel King|October 6, 2020|Fortune
The nonstick six inch plates cook perfect Mickey waffles in five minutes and can be cleaned just as quickly with a few swipes of a damp cloth.
The best mini waffle makers for delectable breakfasts|PopSci Commerce Team|October 2, 2020|Popular-Science
You can also access the camera quickly from the Control Center, via a swipe down from the top right of the screen when the phone is unlocked.
Get around your phone more quickly than you already are|David Nield|September 16, 2020|Popular-Science

Assembly Speaker Anthnoy Rendon and Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins took swipes at each other in George Skelton’s Los Angeles Times column Thursday.
Morning Report: Downtown Jail Outbreak Goes From Bad to Worse|Voice of San Diego|September 11, 2020|Voice of San Diego
Swipe, pass judgment, see who likes you and see if anyone likes you back.
Swipe Right For Sex: Mixxxer Is Tinder for the Porn Star Set|Aurora Snow|October 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
We are going through and looking for people that we would honestly ‘swipe right’ for.
Grindr and Tinder Help the Holy Land Make Love, Not War|Gideon Resnick|July 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“One swipe with a crowbar and he would have been down,” Sasha said.
I Heard About the Latest Crazed Shooter While I Watched the World Cup with Guys He Almost Killed|Daniel Genis|July 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Meanwhile, Paul has claimed the mantle of Reaganism for his foreign policy views, in a direct swipe at Ted Cruz.
Will Rand Paul’s Unorthodox Foreign Policy Fit in the GOP?|Kristen Soltis Anderson|April 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Flawless skin, perfect hair, and bright white teeth are all just a swipe away.
New App, SkinneePix, Promises to Shave 15 Pounds Off Your Selfies|Charlotte Lytton|April 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And Robarts raised his bat, prepared for a good swipe if the ball came within reach, which he did not much expect.
Dr. Jolliffe's Boys|Lewis Hough
First they swipe my girl and erase all traces of her; then when I go looking they offer me help and sympathy for my distress.
Highways in Hiding|George Oliver Smith
So far, Security has played one nation against another enough to keep any from daring to swipe power on the planets.
Police Your Planet|Lester del Rey
I wade in as far as I can, and make a tremendous swipe with the rod.
Mr. Punch With Rod and Gun|Various
They've got their auto out in some sort of a shed and if we could run it we could swipe the whole thing.
The Motor Rangers Through the Sierras|Marvin West

British Dictionary definitions for swipe

swipe

/ (swaɪp) /

verb

(when intr, usually foll by at) informal to hit hard with a sweeping blow

(tr) slang to steal

(tr) to pass a machine-readable card, such as a credit card, debit card, etc, through a machine that electronically interprets the information encoded, usu. in a magnetic strip, on the card

noun

informal a hard blow

an unexpected criticism of someone or something while discussing another subject

Also called: sweep a type of lever for raising and lowering a weight, such as a bucket in a well

Word Origin for swipe

C19: perhaps related to sweep

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

swipe

Origin of swipe

Words nearby swipe

Words related to swipe

How to use swipe in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for swipe

Word Origin for swipe