swain

English

Etymology

From Old Norse sveinn, from Proto-Germanic *swaina-, *swainaz (“relative, young man, servant”), from Proto-Indo-European *se- (“aside, separated, apart”). Cognate with Old English swān.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /sweɪn/
• Rhymes: -eɪn

Noun

swain (plural swains)

1. (obsolete) A knight's servant; an attendant.
2. (archaic) A country labourer; a countryman, a rustic.
3. (poetic) A rural lover; a male sweetheart in a pastoral setting.

Derived terms

• coxswain
• boatswain

Anagrams

• iwans
• saw in
• wains