I. ˈswȯrm noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English swearm; akin to Old High German swaram swarm and probably to Latin susurrus hum
Date: before 12th century
1.
a. : a great number of honeybees emigrating together from a hive in company with a queen to start a new colony elsewhere
b. : a colony of honeybees settled in a hive
2.
a. : a large number of animate or inanimate things massed together and usually in motion : throng
swarm s of sightseers
a swarm of locusts
a swarm of meteors
b. : a number of similar geological features or phenomena close together in space or time
a swarm of dikes
an earthquake swarm
II. verb
Date: 14th century
intransitive verb
1. : to form and depart from a hive in a swarm
2.
a. : to move or assemble in a crowd : throng
b. : to hover about in the manner of a bee in a swarm
3. : to contain a swarm : teem
swarm ing with bugs
transitive verb
1. : to fill with a swarm
2. : to beset or surround in a swarm
players swarm ing the quarterback
• swarm·er noun
III. verb
Etymology: origin unknown
Date: 14th century
intransitive verb
: to climb with the hands and feet ; specifically : shin
swarm up a pole
transitive verb
: to climb up : mount