SWERVE


Meaning of SWERVE in English

n.

Pronunciation: ' sw ə rv

Function: verb

Inflected Form: swerved ; swerv · ing

Etymology: Middle English, from Old English sweorfan to wipe, file away; akin to Old High German swerban to wipe off, W chwerfu to whirl

Date: 14th century

intransitive verb : to turn aside abruptly from a straight line or course : DEVIATE

transitive verb : to cause to turn aside or deviate

– swerve noun

synonyms SWERVE , VEER , DEVIATE , DEPART , DIGRESS , DIVERGE mean to turn aside from a straight course. SWERVE may suggest a physical, mental, or moral turning away from a given course, often with abruptness < swerved to avoid hitting the dog>. VEER implies a major change in direction <at that point the path veers to the right>. DEVIATE implies a turning from a customary or prescribed course <never deviated from her daily routine>. DEPART suggests a deviation from a traditional or conventional course or type <occasionally departs from his own guidelines>. DIGRESS applies to a departing from the subject of one's discourse <a professor prone to digress >. DIVERGE may equal DEPART but usually suggests a branching of a main path into two or more leading in different directions <after school their paths diverged >.

Merriam Webster Collegiate English Dictionary.      Merriam Webster - Энциклопедический словарь английского языка.