I. ˈswet verb
( sweat or sweat·ed ; sweat·ing )
Etymology: Middle English sweten, from Old English swǣtan, from swāt sweat; akin to Old High German sweiz sweat, Latin sudare to sweat, Greek hidrōs sweat
Date: before 12th century
intransitive verb
1.
a. : to excrete moisture in visible quantities through the openings of the sweat glands : perspire
b. : to labor or exert oneself so as to cause perspiration
2.
a. : to emit or exude moisture
cheese sweat s in ripening
b. : to gather surface moisture in beads as a result of condensation
stones sweat at night
c.
(1) : ferment
(2) : putrefy
3. : to undergo anxiety or mental or emotional distress
sweat through final exams
4. : to become exuded through pores or a porous surface : ooze
transitive verb
1. : to emit or seem to emit from pores : exude
2. : to manipulate or produce by hard work or drudgery
3. : to get rid of or lose (weight) by or as if by sweating or being sweated
4. : to make wet with perspiration
5.
a. : to cause to excrete moisture from the skin
b. : to drive hard : overwork
c. : to exact work from at low wages and under unfair or unhealthful conditions
d. slang : to give the third degree to
6. : to cause to exude or lose moisture ; especially : to subject (as tobacco leaves) to fermentation
7.
a. : to extract something valuable from by unfair or dishonest means : fleece
b. : to remove particles of metal from (a coin) by abrasion
8.
a. : to heat (as solder) so as to melt and cause to run especially between surfaces to unite them ; also : to unite by such means
sweat a pipe joint
b. : to heat so as to extract an easily fusible constituent
sweat bismuth ore
c. : to sauté in a covered vessel until natural juices are exuded
9. slang : to worry about
doesn't sweat the small stuff — Barry McDermott
•
- sweat blood
II. noun
Date: 13th century
1. : hard work : drudgery
2. : the fluid excreted from the sweat glands of the skin : perspiration
3. : moisture issuing from or gathering in drops on a surface
4.
a. : the condition of one sweating or sweated
b. : a spell of sweating
5. : a state of anxiety or impatience
6. plural
a. : sweat suit
b. : sweatpants
•
- no sweat