swap
/ˈswɑp/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.94 in modern English
9
Scrabble Score
4
Letters
1
Syllables
4
Unique Chars
Meaning
verb
To exchange or give (something) in an non-normal exchange (for something else).
Transitive verb
verb
To beat the air, or ply the wings, with a sweeping motion or noise; to flap.
Obsolete; Transitive verb
noun
An exchange of two comparable things.
noun
A financial derivative in which two parties agree to exchange one stream of non-normal cashflow against another stream.
noun
A social meal at a restaurant between two university societies, usually involving drinking and banter; commonly associated with fining and pennying; equivalent to a crewdate at Oxford University.
Example Sentences
- "In an effort to provide more permanent accommodations, employers may offer employees the opportunity either to swap jobs with a colleague or to transfer to a new position."
- "Chief watched these goings-on without pleasure, and waved them off in disgust when the smarmiest of the two suggested he might wish to swap that elk's tooth for this jug of fine rye whiskey."
- "The Shah wanted to swap oil for more arms."
- "And he whipped his sword out of its scabbard, and swapped off the pudding from the black knight's nose. Unfortunately (for him) he swapped off a good bit of the nose, too."
- ""Maybe Apes will grow honest, Sister," said Edmund. "But, by the Lion, if he breaks it again, it may be in such time and place that any of us could swap off his head in clean battle.""
- "I e’en changed it, as occasion served, with the skippers o’ Dutch luggers and French vessels, for gin and brandy[…] a gude swap too, between what cheereth the soul of man and that which dingeth it clean out of his body"
Etymology
From Middle English swappen (“to swap”), originally meaning "to hurl" or "to strike", the word alludes to striking hands together when making an exchange; probably from Old English *swappian, a secondary form of Old English swāpan (“to swoop”). Cognate with German schwappen (“to slosh, slop”). Compare also Middle English swippen (“to strike, hit”), from Old English swipian (“to scourge, strike, beat, lash”), Old Norse svipa (“to swoop, flash, whip, look after, look around”). More at swipe.
Origin
- Source language: Middle English
- First known use: First attested in 1620
Word Breakdown
- Root: swappen, *swappian, swāpan, swap
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈswɑp/
- British English: /ˈswɒp/