Etymology : Middle English, to beat, fling, hurl, rush, from Old English swingan to beat, fling oneself, rush; akin to Old High German swingan to fling, rush
Pronunciation : swi[ng]
Function : verb
Date : 13th century
1. act of swinging; back and forth movement; sweeping motion made by the arm; swaying movement of the body; suspended seat on which one sits and sways to and fro; rhythm; change; 1930's dance music. move back and forth; strike with a sweeping movement of the arm; turn; alter one's opinion or interest; ride on a swing; successfully arrange (Slang); play rhythmically (Music); be hanged (Slang). to have sexual intercourse. swing\swing\ , v. i. [imp. & p. p. swung ; archaic imp. swang ; p. pr. & vb. n. swinging.] [oe. swingen, as. swingan to scourge, to fly, to flutter; akin to g. schwingen to winnow, to swingle, oscillate, sich schwingen to leap, to soar, ohg. swingan to throw, to scourge, to soar, sw. svinga to swing, to whirl, dan. svinge. cf. swagger, sway, swinge, swink.].
2. to move to and fro, as a body suspended in the air; to wave; to vibrate; to oscillate. i tried if a pendulum would swing faster, or continue swinging longer, in case of exsuction of the air.
3. to sway or move from one side or direction to another; as, the door swung open.
4. to use a swing; as, a boy swings for exercise or pleasure. see:
swing, n.,.
5. 4. (naut.) to turn round by action of wind or tide when at anchor; as, a ship swings with the tide.
6. to be hanged. [colloq.] webster.
7. To move to and fro, as a body suspended in the air; to wave; to vibrate; to oscillate.
8. To sway or move from one side or direction to another; as, the door swung open.
9. To use a swing; as, a boy swings for exercise or pleasure.
10. See Swing, n., 3.
11. To turn round by action of wind or tide when at anchor; as, a ship swings with the tide.
12. To be hanged.
13. To cause to swing or vibrate; to cause to move backward and forward, or from one side to the other.
14. To give a circular movement to; to whirl; to brandish; as, to swing a sword; to swing a club; hence, colloquially, to manage; as, to swing a business.
15. To admit or turn for the purpose of shaping it; said of a lathe; as, the lathe can swing a pulley of 12 inches diameter.
16. The act of swinging; a waving, oscillating, or vibratory motion of a hanging or pivoted object; oscillation; as, the swing of a pendulum.
17. Swaying motion from one side or direction to the other; as, some men walk with a swing.
18. A line, cord, or other thing suspended and hanging loose, upon which anything may swing; especially, an apparatus for recreation by swinging, commonly consisting of a rope, the two ends of which are attached overhead, as to the bough of a tree, a seat being placed in the loop at the bottom; also, any contrivance by which a similar motion is produced for amusement or exercise.
19. Influence of power of a body put in swaying motion.
20. Capacity of a turning lathe, as determined by the diameter of the largest object that can be turned in it.
21. Free course; unrestrained liberty or license; tendency. changing location by moving back and forth a square dance figure; a pair of dancers join hands and dance around a point between them a sweeping blow or stroke; "he took a wild swing at my head" mechanical device used as a plaything to support someone swinging back and forth a style of jazz played by big bands popular in the 1930s; flowing rhythms but less complex than later styles of jazz a state of steady vigorous action that is characteristic of an activity; "the party went with a swing"; "it took time to get into the swing of things" alternate dramatically between high and low values; "his mood swings"; "the market is swinging up and down" hit or aim at with a sweeping arm movement; "The soccer player began to swing at the referee" engage freely in promiscuous sex, often with the husband or wife of one's friends; "There were many swinging couples in the 1960's" make a big sweeping gesture or movement play with a subtle and intuitively felt sense of rhythm move or walk in a swinging or swaying manner; "He swung back" change direction with a swinging motion; turn; "swing back"; "swing forward" move in a curve or arc, usually with the intent of hitting; "He swung his left fist"; "swing a bat" be a social swinger; socialize a lot influence decisively; "This action swung many votes over to his side" live in a lively, modern, and relaxed style; "The Woodstock generation attempted to swing freely" have a certain musical rhythm; "The music has to swing".
22. 1. If something swings or if you swing it, it moves repeatedly backwards and forwards or from side to side from a fixed point. The sail of the little boat swung crazily from one side to the other She was swinging a bottle of wine by its neck Ian lit a cigarette and sat on the end of the table, one leg swinging. Swing is also a noun. a woman in a tight red dress, walking with a slight swing to her hips.
23. If something swings in a particular direction or if you swing it in that direction, it moves in that direction with a smooth, curving movement. The torchlight swung across the little beach and out over the water, searching The canoe found the current and swung around Roy swung his legs carefully off the couch and sat up. Swing is also a noun. When he's not on the tennis court, you'll find him practising his golf swing.
24. If a vehicle swings in a particular direction, or if the driver swings it in a particular direction, they turn suddenly in that direction. Joanna swung back on to the main approach and headed for the airport The tyres dug into the grit as he swung the car off the road.
25. If someone swings around, they turn around quickly, usually because they are surprised. She swung around to him, spilling her tea without noticing it.
26. If you swing at a person or thing, you try to hit them with your arm or with something that you are holding. Blanche swung at her but she moved her head back and Blanche missed I picked up his baseball bat and swung at the man's head. Swing is also a noun. I often want to take a swing at someone to relieve my feelings. = swipe.
27. A swing is a seat hanging by two ropes or chains from a metal frame or from the branch of a tree. You can sit on the seat and move forwards and backwards through the air.
28. Swing is a style of jazz dance music that was popular in the 1930's. It was played by big bands.
29. A swing in people's opinions, attitudes, or feelings is a change in them, especially a sudden or big change. There was a massive twenty per cent swing away from the Conservatives to the Liberal Democrats Dieters suffer from violent mood swings.
30. If people's opinions, attitudes, or feelings swing, they change, especially in a sudden or extreme way. In two years' time there is a presidential election, and the voters could swing again The mood amongst Tory MPs seems to be swinging away from their leader.
31. If something is in full swing, it is operating fully and is no longer in its early stages. When we returned, the party was in full swing and the dance floor was crowded.
32. If you get into the swing of something, you become very involved in it and enjoy what you are doing. Everyone understood how hard it was to get back into the swing of things after such a long absence.
33. If you say that a situation is swings and roundabouts, you mean that there are as many gains as there are losses.
34. no room to swing a cat: see:
cat. Jazz played with a steady beat using the harmonic structure of popular songs and the blues as the basis for improvisations and arrangements. The popular music of the U.S. from about 1930 to 1945 (years sometimes called the swing era), swing is characterized by syncopated rhythmic momentum with equal stress accorded to the four beats of a measure. Larger jazz bands required some arranged material, and Fletcher Henderson, Duke Ellington, and Count Basie were the primary innovators of big-band swing. In smaller ensembles, improvised instrumental solos generally follow a rendering of the melody.