/ swɪl; NAmE / verb , noun
■ verb
1.
[ vn ] swill sth (out / down) ( especially BrE ) to clean sth by pouring large amounts of water in, on or through it
SYN rinse :
She swilled the glasses with clean water.
2.
[ vn ] swill sth (down) ( informal ) to drink sth quickly and/or in large quantities
3.
[+ adv. / prep. ] to move, or to make a liquid move, in a particular direction or around a particular place :
[ vn ]
He swilled the juice around in his glass.
[ v ]
Water swilled around in the bottom of the boat.
■ noun
1.
(also pig·swill ) [ U ] a mixture of waste food and water that is given to pigs to eat
2.
[ U ] ( informal ) drink or food that is unpleasant or of a poor quality
3.
[ C , usually sing. ] ( informal ) a large amount of a drink that you take into your mouth :
He had a quick swill of wine.
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WORD ORIGIN
Old English swillan , swilian (verb), of unknown origin. The noun dates from the mid 16th cent.