I. swap 1 S3 BrE AmE ( also swop British English ) /swɒp $ swɑːp/ verb ( past tense and past participle swapped , present participle swapping )
[ Date: 1500-1600 ; Origin: swap 'to hit' (14-19 centuries) , from the sound; from the practice of striking the hands together when agreeing a business deal ]
1 . [intransitive and transitive] to give something to someone and get something in return SYN exchange :
Do you want to swap umbrellas?
swap something for something
He swapped his watch for a box of cigars.
swap something with somebody
The girls chatted and swapped clothes with each other.
2 . [transitive] to tell information to someone and be given information in return SYN exchange :
We need to get together to swap ideas and information.
They sat in a corner and swapped gossip.
3 . ( also swap over ) [intransitive and transitive] to do the thing that someone else has been doing, and let them do the thing that you have been doing SYN change :
They decided to swap roles for the day.
You start on the windows and I’ll do the walls, then we can swap over after an hour or so.
swap something with somebody
She ended up swapping jobs with her secretary.
4 . [transitive] to stop using or get rid of one thing and put or get another thing in its place:
The driver announced that we would have to swap buses.
swap something for something
She had swapped her long skirts for jeans and T-shirts.
He swapped his London home for a cottage in Scotland.
5 . [transitive] ( also swap something around ) to move one thing and put another in its place:
Someone had gone into the nursery and swapped all the babies around.
swap something with something
Why don’t we swap the TV with the bookcase?
6 . swap places British English to let someone sit or stand in your place, so that you can have their place SYN change places :
Can we swap places, please?
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THESAURUS
▪ exchange to give something to someone, and receive a similar thing from them at the same time. Exchange is often used about people telling each other about their ideas, phone numbers, addresses etc:
They exchanged photographs before they met.
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a place where people can exchange ideas
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We exchanged email addresses.
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if you are unhappy with the jacket, you can always take it back and exchange it for another one.
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These coupons can be exchanged for meals and accommodation.
▪ change to exchange something, especially money. Also used in British English about exchanging something you have bought for something different:
I need to change some dollars.
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She changed all her money into euros.
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We thought it was time we changed our car for something more modern.
▪ swap ( also do a swap British English ) informal to give something to someone, who gives you something similar:
The two schools use the Internet to swap pictures, stories, and jokes.
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I like your room better – do you want to do a swap?
▪ trade ( also do a trade American English ) to exchange something that you have for something that someone else has:
The stolen phones are being traded for drugs.
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The boys trade sports cards on the playground.
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We've got lots of plants we don't need – do you want to do a trade?
▪ switch to change the places of two or more people or things, so that each one is in the place the other was before:
Can I switch seats with you?
▪ reciprocate to do or give something, because someone has done or given something similar to you – a rather formal use:
They invited us to dinner a while ago, and I'd like to reciprocate.
▪ in exchange/return (for something) if you give something in exchange or in return for something else, you give it in order to get something else back:
Williams will plead guilty in exchange for a reduced sentence.
II. swap 2 BrE AmE ( also swop British English ) noun [countable] informal
1 . [usually singular] a situation in which you give something to someone and get another thing in return SYN exchange :
a fair swap
We can do a swap if you like.
2 . a situation in which people each do the job that the other usually does