swim
Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
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[edit] English
[edit] Etymology
From Middle English swimmen, from Old English swimman (“to swim, float”) (class III strong verb; past tense swamm, past participle geswummen), from Proto-Germanic *swimmanan (“to swoon, lose consciousness, swim”), from Proto-Indo-European *swem(bh)- (“to be unsteady, swim”). Cognate with West Frisian swimme (“to swim, float”), Dutch zwemmen (“to swim”), German schwimmen (“to swim”), Danish svømme (“to swim”), Swedish simma (“to swim”).
[edit] Pronunciation
[edit] Verb
swim (third-person singular simple present swims, present participle swimming, simple past swam, past participle swum)
- (intransitive, archaic) To float.
- And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither; and the iron did swim. — 2 Kings 6:6 (KJV).
- Sink or swim
- (intransitive) To move through the water, without touching the bottom; to propel oneself in water by natural means.
- (transitive) To traverse (a specific body of water, or a specific distance) by swimming; or, to utilize a specific swimming stroke; or, to compete in a specific swimming event.
- He will attempt to swim the channel.
- For exercise, we like to swim laps around the pool.
- I want to swim the 200-yard breaststroke in the finals.
[edit] Derived terms
[edit] Translations
move through water
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[edit] Noun
swim (plural swims)
- An act or instance of swimming.
- I'm going for a swim.
[edit] Derived terms
[edit] Translations
act or instance of swimming
