swipes

American  

[swahyps] / swaɪps /

noun

(used with a plural verb)

1. poor, watery, or spoiled beer.

2. malt liquor in general, especially beer and small beer.

---

swipes British  

/ swaɪps /

plural noun

1. slang beer, esp when poor or weak

---

Etymology

Origin of swipes

1780–90; noun plural use of swipe to drink down at one gulp, variant of sweep ¹

Example Sentences

The card duopoly makes money not just from credit card transactions, but also from debit card payments, earning roughly the same fee on both types of swipes.

From Barron's • Jan. 13, 2026

My favorite of these swipes is when Miller asks Patel when he might get engaged to Wilkins.

From Slate • Dec. 18, 2025

Offices emptied out, with entry swipes in major cities dropping by nearly 90%.

From Salon • Dec. 5, 2025

But after making a New Year’s resolution to log every single one of her credit card swipes, she realized a considerable portion of her paycheck was going to “junk.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 14, 2025

The hotel mirror is perfectly clean, but for the echo of a few rag swipes in the top left corner.

From "How It Went Down" by Kekla Magoon