swan-upping
[ swon-uhp-ing ]
/ ˈswɒnˌʌp ɪŋ /
noun British.
the taking up of young swans to mark them with nicks on the beak for identification.
an annual expedition for this purpose on the Thames.
Words nearby swan-upping
swan's neck,
swan's neck pediment,
swan's-down,
swan-dive,
swan-ganz catheter,
swan-upping,
swanee,
swang,
swanherd,
swank,
swanky
Example sentences from the Web for swan-upping
The time-honoured brutality of swan-upping is now mitigated by law, its cruelty being obvious.
The Naturalist on the Thames |C. J. CornishThis is called "swan-upping," and a good time it used to be.
The Nursery, July 1881, Vol. XXX |VariousThe young cygnets were marked at the annual festival of “swan-upping,” at which the City magnates used hugely to enjoy themselves.
The Great North Road: London to York |Charles G. Harper
British Dictionary definitions for swan-upping
swan-upping
noun British
the practice or action of marking nicks in swans' beaks as a sign of ownership
the annual swan-upping of royal cygnets on the River Thames
Word Origin for swan-upping
C16: from
up (in the archaic sense: to catch and mark a swan)