swipe

[ swahyp ]

/ swaɪp /

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 rub·ber. 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.

Nearby words

swinishly, swink, swinnerton, swinnerton, frank, swinney, swipe, swipe card, swipes, swipple, swirl, swirly

Origin of swipe

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

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

Examples from the Web for swiping

And while we're all swiping right (Tinder speak that translates to: we love him), so many people have become fooled.
How 'Billy on the Street' Star Billy Eichner Turned Screaming at Strangers Into Comedy Gold|Kevin Fallon|March 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And, of course, an untold number are swiping her Approved Card wherever they go.
Can Suze Orman Save America?|Adam Auriemma|November 10, 2013|DAILY BEAST
It was simply a matter of entering information into websites, swiping cards, and gaming the system.
How to Commit a $200 Million Scam: Inside the Year’s Most Shocking Credit Card Fraud|Daniel Gross|February 6, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The first ball of the over, Jack steps out and meets, swiping with all his force.
Tom Brown at Rugby|Thomas Hughes

He heard steps behind him just in time, and found a tall man rushing forward and swiping at the sound of him.
The Strand Magazine, Volume XXVII, Issue 160, April, 1904|Various
Lifted into a second-hand bird cage, the kitten spat its indignation and fell to swiping at shadows with a silky paw.
Trading Jeff and his Dog|James Arthur Kjelgaard
Swiping a shipment of odd animals and selling them to Yaco, that could be Bad News, in character.
Lion Loose|James H. Schmitz
Our gang decided we could pick up a hundred grand easier by kidnapping you than by swiping jewelry.
Linda Carlton's Island Adventure|Edith Lavell

British Dictionary definitions for swiping

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

noun

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

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

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of swipe

Examples from the Web for swiping

British Dictionary definitions for swiping

swipe

verb

noun

Word Origin for swipe