I. ˈswiŋ verb
( swung ˈswəŋ ; also chiefly dialect swang ˈswaŋ, -aiŋ ; swung ; swinging ; swings )
Etymology: Middle English swingen to strike, beat, fling, hurl, rush, from Old English swingan to strike, beat, fling oneself, rush; akin to Old High German swinġan to fling, rush, Gothic afswanggwjan to make doubtful; basic meaning: to move with a rotating motion
transitive verb
1.
a. : to cause (something grasped or attached at one point) to move vigorously through a wide circle or arc : wield with a sweep or flourish
charged the rival gang swinging clubs and knives
swing an axe
swing a bat
swing a scythe
went for each other swinging their fists
jumped aside when the porcupine swung his tail
b.
(1) : to cause (something suspended) to sway to and fro
troops that marched and swung their arms in time with their song
(2) : to give (a person) a ride in something (as a swing, hammock) that sways to and fro
c.
(1) : to cause to turn on an axis : make rotate or pivot
a gust that swung the door to
(2) : to cause to face or move in another direction
grasp him by the shoulder and swing him around
swing the gun towards them and fire
swing the car into a side road
(3) : to execute a swing with (a square dance partner)
swing your partner once around
d.
(1) : to turn (a ship or airplane) to successive compass points (as the cardinal and quadrantal points) in order to ascertain and correct or record magnetic compass deviations by comparing on each heading the compass bearing of an object (as a distant landmark, the sun, a mark on an airport swinging base) with its known true magnetic bearing
a tabulation of the deviation on different headings is made from the data obtained by swinging ship — Bluejackets' Manual
(2) : to ascertain the deviation of (an airplane compass) by so swinging the airplane usually on a swinging base
2. : to attach (as from an overhead support or by hinges) so as to permit swaying or turning : cause to hang : suspend
swing a hammock between nearby trees
3. : to convey by suspension from a support
huge cranes that swing cargo up over the ship's side and into the hold
4. of a lathe or lathe centers : to be capable of holding for turning
a lathe that swings 12 inches
5.
a.
(1) : to exercise a determining influence on : influence decisively
whether the labor vote will swing the presidential election
a lobby that swings a lot of votes in the legislature
(2) : to cause to change in attitude, loyalty, or outcome
swing a bat-hater from fear and disgust to avid interest — R.K.Plumb
(3) : to cause to rally or conform
can swing 20,000 workers behind the party line — C.H.Arke
b. : to succeed in doing, making, or having : bring about : manage , accomplish
whether he is man enough to swing the job
swing the sale by entertaining the customer
sure he can swing a new car on his income
c. : to exert or be able to exert — used with weight
got the job through a friend who swings a lot of weight in city politics
6.
[ swing (II) ]
: to play or sing (as a melody) in the style of swing music
swing a folk song
intransitive verb
1.
a. : to move freely to and fro (as in suspension from an overhead support)
the pendulum swings with great regularity
a basket swings from her arm
b. : to ride in a swing
2.
a. : to die by hanging
was caught spying and made to swing for it
b. : to hang freely from a support : be in suspension
gray Spanish moss, swinging from live oak and cypress — American Guide Series: Louisiana
3. : to turn on or as if on an axis : move in or describe a circle or arc: as
a. : to move with the wind or tide around a single anchor or mooring
a ship swung in the roadstead, awaiting cargo — Carleton Mitchell
b. : to go in a sweeping curve
swings around the corner with a squeal of tires
a plane that swung low over the field and nosed up again
the highway swings north around the end of the mountain — G.R.Stewart
c. : to turn on a hinge or pivot
doors that swing open automatically
d. : to turn in place : face a different direction : wheel
she swung on a high heel and walked away — Wilson Collison
e. : to convey oneself from one point to another by swaying or pivoting on a fixed support
swing aboard the train as it pulls out
put one foot in the stirrup and swing up into the saddle
monkeys that swing from limb to limb through the jungle
f. : to turn about with a partner in dancing : execute a swing
gents swing in and ladies swing out
4.
a. : to sound with or have a steady pulsing rhythm
likes verses that swing
b.
[ swing (II) ]
: to play or sing with a lively compelling rhythm
pomps … of life chronicled in swinging hymnbook rhythms — British Book News
specifically : to play swing music
this band swings more than anything since the bop era began — W.C.Herman
c. : to dance in swing or jazz style
5. : to shift or fluctuate from one condition, form, position, or object of attention or favor to another (as an opposite)
swing constantly from optimism to pessimism and back — Sinclair Lewis
leading newspapers … swung against him — S.P.Brewer
6.
a. : to move along with free, swaying movements
a cocky, swaggering bunch of Americans swung along the jungle trail — Dave Richardson
long Pacific rollers swinging in rank after rank — Thomas Wood †1950
b. : to start up in a smooth vigorous manner
minutemen who were ready to swing into action against the British at a moment's notice — American Guide Series: Massachusetts
heard the musicians swing into their first tune — Earl Hammer
haul up the prisoning anchor, swing out upon the tide — Bertha Runkle
7. : to hit or aim at something with a sweeping arm movement
a fast ball that the batter swung at and missed
told the boxer to go into the ring swinging
thinking I was being held up, I swung on him with all I had — H.A.Chippendale
mounts his gun to his shoulder quickly but smoothly, swings on the target … touches the trigger while the gun is still in motion — American Rifleman
8. : to ascertain the deviation of a magnetic ship or airplane compass by swinging the ship or plane
9. : to make a circuit : take a side trip
promised to swing by and pick them up
: take a tour
swung through his district campaigning
10. : to change direction in skiing by a swing
Synonyms:
: sway , oscillate , vibrate , fluctuate , pendulate , waver , undulate : swing implies a movement back and forth or in one direction of something attached at one side or one end
swing like a pendulum
the door swung open
swing lasso around your head
sway implies a back and forward or teetering movement, usually of an upright object especially flexible or unsteady
the bamboos at the corner of the house swayed slowly under a gentle night wind — Pearl Buck
sway to the rhythm of the music
the chimney swayed under the shock of the explosion
oscillate suggests the swinging of a pendulum, implying a movement, usually rapid, between two points, poles, or conditions
an oscillating reed
it is clear that Bohemianism has continuously oscillated between the poles of escape and revolt — Harry Levin
oscillating between humility and hatred — Francis Golffing
vibrate , sometimes interchangeable with oscillate, usually implies a motion like the pulsating of a string on a musical instrument when plucked or struck or a periodic motion in alternating directions
a car vibrating with the irregularity of the motor's explosions
the ultrasonic, or high frequency, waves vibrate so fast they can't be heard by the human ear — Boyd Wright
on summer evenings when the air vibrated with the song of insects — Sherwood Anderson
fluctuate implies constant irregular alternations suggestive of the movements of waves
food prices fluctuate according to the law of supply and demand
a handsome, confused and narcissistic woman who continually fluctuates between coldness and torturing kindness — Jean Garrigue
causes the respiration, pulse, and blood pressure of the test subject to fluctuate widely from the normal — H.G.Armstrong
pendulate , rare, is close to oscillate , suggesting a swinging between two extremes or a similar constant change
pendulated between extremes — John Cournos
waver stresses an unsteady or uncertain swinging
a reed wavering in the wind
waver between love and hate
undulate suggests a steady gentle fluctuation as of a continuous rolling or rippling sea
the great serpent drew back like a flash, and turning, undulated slowly away — William Beebe
the country round with its undulating meadows — S.P.B.Mais
blue hills, undulating like waves — American Guide Series: Arkansas
Synonyms:
wave , flourish , brandish , shake , thrash : swing indicates regular oscillation back and forth or continuous rotation around
swinging his arms as he walked
swinging the pail over his head
wave implies undulating, fluttering, or streaming motion without rhythmical regularity, as in signaling, warning, or greeting
wave to an acquaintance
waved his hand
wave a flag
the guard laughed and waved him through the gate — A.W.Long
you cannot wave a wand over the country and say “Let there be Socialism”: at least nothing will happen if you do — G.B.Shaw
flourish may imply triumph, bravado, or ostentation in waving or swinging
rushed into my room flourishing a handsome volume — M.R.Cohen
flourishing his cane as he strolled along
shake may but does not always imply forceful or violent motion or movement
shake a rug
shake a tree to bring down the fruit
shake your fist in another's face
brandish usually involves a shaking or waving with menace or threat
brandishing their swords
striking what appeared to them to be most belligerent attitudes, brandishing his machete — Thomas Barbour
thrash suggests the action of a flail in threshing grain; it may apply to any vigorous swinging or beating
on a blanket on the nursery floor and watched him proudly while he thrashed his sturdy arms and legs — Marcia Davenport
Synonym: see in addition handle .
•
- swing round the circle
- swing the lead
II. noun
( -s )
1. : an act or instance of swinging : swinging movement: as
a.
(1) : a stroke or blow delivered with a sweeping arm movement
the basic techniques of golf — stance, grip, and swing — Official Sports Guide
a batter with a powerful swing
specifically : a round-arm blow in boxing
knocked out … with a right swing — P.J.Cunningham
(2) : a sweeping or rhythmic movement of the body or a bodily part
dismounted with an easy swing
the machinelike swing of the bodies of the plant setters — Sherwood Anderson
(3) : a square dance figure variously executed in which two dancers join arms or hands and dance around a point between them — see waltz swing
(4) : jazz dancing in moderate tempo with a peculiar lilting syncopation — see jitterbug
(5) : a skiing turn executed by a rhythmical crouch-spring-crouch succession of movements combined with a simultaneous rotation and inward leaning of the body and a turning of both skis
(6) : a gymnastic movement in which the body describes an arc forward or backward around the point of support
b.
(1) : the regular movement of a freely suspended object (as a pendulum) along an arc and back : the action of swinging to and fro from a fixed point or on a fixed axis
(2) : steady movement to and fro between wide limits : back and forth sweep
the swing of the tides
the rains follow the sun in its annual swing north and south — Tom Marvel
(3) : the horizontal motion of a boom or shovel — compare crowd , hoist
c.
(1) : steady pulsing rhythm (as in poetry or music)
a perfect metrical swing of the modern kind should have been attained by one poet — George Saintsbury
(2) : a steady vigorous movement characterizing an activity or creative work
his swing and gusto, his abundant detail, and the swift excitement of his narrative — Times Literary Supplement
— often used in the phrase go with a swing
the small, informal evening party will go with a swing at home — Agnes M. Miall
d.
(1) : a trend toward a high or low point in a fluctuating cycle of interest rates, prices, or any business activity
industrialized nations have been subject to periodic swings of prosperity and depression — Asher Achinstein
(2) : an often periodic shift from one condition, form, position, or object of attention or favor to another (as an opposite)
manic depressive swings
in a wave of … straining for novelty, with constant swings of style from one extreme to the other — Thomas Munro
the swing to diesels on United States railroads — Time
2.
a.
(1) obsolete : an impulsion from within : natural bent or bias : inclination
(2) : an indulgence of one's natural bent or bias : fling
letting youth have its swing
(3) : liberty of action : free scope : license , rein
given full swing in the conduct of the business
b. archaic : controlling authority : ruling power
c.
(1) : the driving power of something swung or hurled
the swing of a battering ram against a wall
(2) : steady vigorous advance : driving speed
a train approaching at full swing
3.
a. : the progression of an activity, process, or phase of existence : course , progress — usually used in the phrase in full swing
when the work is in full swing this summer some fifteen thousand men … will be engaged on the highway — Harold Griffin
b. : the normal round or pace of activities
will take you a couple of days … to get into the swing of things — Richard Joseph
c. : a state of vigorous activity
got production into full swing after a slow start
— usually used in the phrase in full swing
animated conversation was still in full swing in the small hours — Enid McLeod
4.
a. : the arc or range through which something swings : the distance between the outer limits to which something swings
a pendulum with a 3-inch swing
b. : the capacity of a turning lathe measured in the United States by the diameter of the largest object that can be turned on it and in England by half this measurement
5. : any of various objects that swing freely from or on a support: as
a. : an apparatus for recreation consisting of a seat suspended from a support (as by a looped rope or two chains)
b. : an amusement park ride in which the rider is mechanically revolved on a vertical or oblique plane in a suspended seat or compartment
c. : the movable part of a swing bridge
d. : the swingable part of a logging boom by means of which the boom is opened or closed
e. : swingback
6. : a curving course or outline: as
a. : a course from and back to a point or place : a circular tour (as of a political candidate)
b. : the curvature of the outer side of a shoe sole
7. : the lateral margins of a herd of cattle being driven : the sides of a trail herd ; also : swingmen
8. or swing music : music usually modified and arranged for a large commercial dance band characterized by a lively insistent rhythm, a basic melody often submerged in improvisation, and a collective use of syncopated rhythms — compare jazz
9. : a score in contract bridge resulting from a swing hand
10. : an interval in a continuous work period during which a regular worker or shift takes a recess and a relief worker or alternate shift carries on : break
•
- swing around the circle
III. adjective
Etymology: in sense 1, from swing (I) ; in other senses, from swing (II)
1.
a. : hinged or pivoted so as to permit swinging into a desired position or in either direction
a swing handle
a swing sash
b. : hanging , suspended
a swing lamp
2. : of, belonging to, or used as a swing
a swing rope
3. : of, performing, or performed in the style of musical swing
swing fans
swing musicians
swing tunes
4. : that may swing often decisively either way on an issue or in an election
the candidate's need to attract the swing vote
the court's swing man — whose vote is often decisive in close cases — Newsweek
5. : relieving other workers as needed : relief
a swing chef
IV. intransitive verb
1. : to be lively and up-to-date
2. : to engage in sex freely
V. noun
also swing pass
: a play in football in which a backfield receiver runs to the outside to take a short pass