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Webster 1913 Edition


Swoop

Swoop

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Swooped
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Swooping
.]
[OE.
swopen
, usually, to sweep, As.
swāpan
to sweep, to rush; akin to G.
schweifen
to rove, to ramble, to curve, OHG.
sweifan
to whirl, Icel.
sveipa
to sweep; also to AS.
swīfan
to move quickly. Cf.
Sweep
,
Swift
,
Adj.
&
Noun.
,
Swipe
,
Swivel
.]
1.
To fall on at once and seize; to catch while on the wing;
as, a hawk
swoops
a chicken
.
2.
To seize; to catch up; to take with a sweep.
And now at last you came to
swoop
it all.
Dryden.
The grazing ox which
swoops
it [the medicinal herb] in with the common grass.
Glanvill.

Swoop

,
Verb.
I.
1.
To descend with closed wings from a height upon prey, as a hawk; to stoop.
2.
To pass with pomp; to sweep.
[Obs.]
Drayton.

Swoop

,
Noun.
A falling on and seizing, as the prey of a rapacious bird; the act of swooping.
The eagle fell, . . . and carried away a whole litter of cubs at a
swoop
.
L’Estrange.

Webster 1828 Edition


Swoop

SWOOP

,
Verb.
T.
[This is probably from sweep, or the same root.]
1.
To fall on at once and seize; to catch while on the wing; as, a hawk swoops a chicken; a kite swoops up a mouse.
2.
To seize; to catchup; to take with a sweep.
3.
To pass with violence.

SWOOP

,
Verb.
I.
To pass with pomp.

SWOOP

,
Noun.
A falling on and seizing, as of a rapacious fowl on his prey.
The eagle fell--and carried away a whole litter of cubs at a swoop.

Definition 2024


swoop

swoop

English

Verb

swoop (third-person singular simple present swoops, present participle swooping, simple past and past participle swooped) (intransitive)

  1. (intransitive) to fly or glide downwards suddenly; to plunge (in the air) or nosedive
    The lone eagle swooped down into the lake, snatching its prey, a small fish.
  2. (intransitive) to move swiftly, as if with a sweeping movement, especially to attack something
    The dog had enthusiastically swooped down on the bone.
    • 1922, Margery Williams, The Velveteen Rabbit
      There was a person called Nana who ruled the nursery. Sometimes she took no notice of the playthings lying about, and sometimes, for no reason whatever, she went swooping about like a great wind and hustled them away in cupboards.
  3. (transitive) To fall on at once and seize; to catch while on the wing.
    A hawk swoops a chicken.
  4. (transitive) To seize; to catch up; to take with a sweep.
    • Dryden
      And now at last you came to swoop it all.
    • Glanvill
      The grazing ox which swoops it [the medicinal herb] in with the common grass.
  5. To pass with pomp; to sweep.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Drayton to this entry?)

Translations

Noun

swoop (plural swoops)

  1. An instance, or the act of suddenly plunging downward.
    The quality of decision is like the well-timed swoop of a falcon which enables it to strike and destroy its victim. Sun Tzu
    • 1922, Margery Williams, The Velveteen Rabbit
      One evening, when the Boy was going to bed, he couldn't find the china dog that always slept with him. Nana was in a hurry, and it was too much trouble to hunt for china dogs at bedtime, so she simply looked about her, and seeing that the toy cupboard door stood open, she made a swoop.
  2. A sudden act.
    • John Webster
      Fortune's a right whore. If she give ought, she deals it in small parcels, that she may take away all at one swoop.
  3. (music) A quick passage from one note to the next.
    • 2008, Russell Dean Vines, Composing Digital Music For Dummies (page 281)
      Originally, computers' attempts at making music were recognizable by their beeps and boops and weird swoops.

Translations

Anagrams