swipe

[ swahyp ]

/ swaɪp /

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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.

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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

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