- (n.) To clean with a mop or swab; to wipe when very wet, as after washing; as, to swab the desk of a ship.
- (n.) A bit of sponge, cloth or the like, fastened to a handle, for cleansing the mouth of a sick person, applying medicaments to deep-seated parts, etc.
- (n.) A sponge or other suitable substance, attached to a long rod or handle, for cleaning the bore of a firearm.
- (n.) An epaulet.
- (n.) A cod or pod, as of beans or pease.
- (n.) A kind of mop for cleaning floors, the desks of vessels, etc., especially one made of rope-yarns or threads.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
| APA | Webster's. (2011). Swab. Retrieved September 21, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/swab/definitions/2069211 |
| Chicago | Webster's. 2011. "Swab" http://smartdefine.org/swab/definitions/2069211 (accessed September 21, 2026). |
| Harvard | Webster's 2011, Swab, Smart Define, viewed 21 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/swab/definitions/2069211>. |
| MLA | Webster's. "Swab" 28 May 2011. Web. 21 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/swab/definitions/2069211> |