swim

[ swim ]

/ swɪm /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR swim ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used without object), swam, swum, swim·ming.

to move in water by movements of the limbs, fins, tail, etc.

to float on the surface of water or some other liquid.

to move, rest, or be suspended in air as if swimming in water.

to move, glide, or go smoothly over a surface.

to be immersed or steeped in or overflowing or flooded with a liquid: eyes swimming with tears.

to be dizzy or giddy; seem to whirl: My head began to swim.

verb (used with object), swam, swum, swim·ming.

to move along in or cross (a body of water) by swimming: to swim a lake.

to perform (a particular stroke) in swimming: to swim a sidestroke.

to cause to swim or float, as on a stream.

to furnish with sufficient water to swim or float.

noun

an act, instance, or period of swimming.

a motion as of swimming; a smooth, gliding movement.

Idioms for swim

in the swim, alert to or actively engaged in events; in the thick of things: Despite her age, she is still in the swim.

Origin of swim

before 900; Middle English swimmen, Old English swimman; cognate with Dutch zwemmen, German schwimmen, Old Norse svimma

OTHER WORDS FROM swim

swim·ma·ble, adjective swim·mer, noun non·swim·mer, noun out·swim, verb, out·swam, out·swum, out·swim·ming.

Words nearby swim

swiftie, swiftlet, swig, swiler, swill, swim, swim against the current, swim bladder, swim fin, swim mask, swim with the tide

British Dictionary definitions for in the swim

swim

/ (swɪm) /

verb swims, swimming, swam or swum

(intr) to move along in water, etc, by means of movements of the body or parts of the body, esp the arms and legs, or (in the case of fish) tail and fins

(tr) to cover (a distance or stretch of water) in this way

(tr) to compete in (a race) in this way

(intr) to be supported by and on a liquid; float

(tr) to use (a particular stroke) in swimming

(intr) to move smoothly, usually through air or over a surface

(intr) to reel or seem to reel my head swam; the room swam around me

(intr; often foll by in or with) to be covered or flooded with water or other liquid

(intr often foll by in) to be liberally supplied (with) he's swimming in money

(tr) to cause to float or swim

(tr) to provide (something) with water deep enough to float in

swim against the tide or swim against the stream to resist prevailing opinion

swim with the tide or swim with the stream to conform to prevailing opinion

noun

the act, an instance, or period of swimming

any graceful gliding motion

a condition of dizziness; swoon

a pool in a river good for fishing

in the swim informal fashionable or active in social or political activities

Derived forms of swim

swimmable, adjective swimmer, noun swimming, noun, adjective

Word Origin for swim

Old English swimman; related to Old Norse svima, German schwimmen, Gothic swumsl pond, Norwegian svamla to paddle

Idioms and Phrases with in the swim (1 of 2)

in the swim

Actively participating, in the thick of things, as in He was new in town, but he soon got in the swim at school. This expression alludes to the fishing term for a large number of fish in one area, a so-called swim. [Mid-1800s]

Idioms and Phrases with in the swim (2 of 2)

swim

In addition to the idioms beginning with swim

swim against the current
swim with the tide

also see:

in the swim
sink or swim

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

swim

verb (used without object), swam, swum, swim·ming.

verb (used with object), swam, swum, swim·ming.

noun

Idioms for swim

Origin of swim

OTHER WORDS FROM swim

Words nearby swim

British Dictionary definitions for in the swim

verb swims, swimming, swam or swum

noun

Derived forms of swim

Word Origin for swim

Idioms and Phrases with in the swim (1 of 2)

Idioms and Phrases with in the swim (2 of 2)

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

swim

verb (used without object), swam, swum, swim·ming.

verb (used with object), swam, swum, swim·ming.

noun

Idioms for swim

Origin of swim

OTHER WORDS FROM swim

Words nearby swim

Words related to in the swim

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for in the swim

verb swims, swimming, swam or swum

noun

Derived forms of swim

Word Origin for swim

Idioms and Phrases with in the swim (1 of 2)

Idioms and Phrases with in the swim (2 of 2)

British Dictionary definitions for in the swim