SWERVE


Meaning of SWERVE in English

transcription, транскрипция: [ ˈswərv ]

verb

( swerved ; swerv·ing )

Etymology: Middle English, from Old English sweorfan to wipe, file away; akin to Old High German swerban to wipe off, Welsh 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's Collegiate English vocabulary.      Энциклопедический словарь английского языка Merriam Webster.