/ swaɪp; NAmE / verb , noun
■ verb
1.
swipe (at) sb/sth to hit or try to hit sb/sth with your hand or an object by swinging your arm :
[ v ]
He swiped at the ball and missed.
[also vn ]
2.
[ vn ] ( informal ) to steal sth
SYN pinch
3.
[ vn ] to pass a plastic card, such as a credit card, through a special machine that is able to read the information that is stored on it
■ noun swipe (at sb/sth) ( informal )
1.
an act of hitting or trying to hit sb/sth by swinging your arm or sth that you are holding :
She took a swipe at him with her umbrella.
2.
an act of criticizing sb/sth :
He used the interview to take a swipe at his critics .
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WORD ORIGIN
mid 18th cent.: perhaps a variant of sweep .