swing

/ˈswiŋ/

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

verb

  1. to cause to move vigorously through a wide arc or circle

  2. to cause to sway to and fro

  3. to cause to turn on an axis

swing an ax

swing wave flourish brandish thrash mean to wield or cause to move to and fro or up and down. swing implies regular or uniform movement. wave usually implies smooth or continuous motion.

noun

  1. an act or instance of swinging : swinging movement: such as

  2. a stroke or blow delivered with a sweeping arm movement

  3. a sweeping or rhythmic movement of the body or a bodily part

adjective

  1. of or relating to musical swing

  2. that may swing often decisively either way on an issue or in an election

a swing band