swivel

English

(mechanical) heavy-duty swivel

Etymology

From Middle English swyvel, swivel, from a derivative of Old English swīfan (“to revolve”), + -el, an instrumental suffix, equivalent to swive +‎ -el.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈswɪvəl/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪvəl

Noun

swivel (countable and uncountable, plural swivels)

1. (mechanical) A piece, such as a ring or hook, attached to another piece by a pin, in such a manner as to permit rotation about the pin as an axis.
   • 1907, Harold Bindloss, chapter 7, in The Dust of Conflict‎^[1]:

     The patter of feet, and clatter of strap and swivel, seemed to swell into a bewildering din, but they were almost upon the fielato offices, where the carretera entered the town, before a rifle flashed.

2. (military) A small piece of ordnance, turning on a point or swivel; called also swivel gun.
   • Template:RQ:Wilhelm 1881

     Applied to guns mounted upon the cartridges were fired without being tripods , stands , swivels , or carriages

3. (slang, uncountable) Strength of mind or character that enables one to overcome adversity; confidence; force of will.

   Bob ain't got no swivel.

4. The act of swivelling.
5. (dance) A rotating of the hips.
6. (fishing) A small, usually ball- or barrel-shaped device used in angling to connect sections of fishing lines, consisting of two rings linked via a thrust bearing pivot joint.

Derived terms

Derived terms

• keep one's head on a swivel
• swivel bridge
• swivel chary
• swivel gun
• swivel hook

• swivel joint
• swivel knife
• swivelly

Translations

piece to permit rotation

• Afrikaans: wartel
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 转节 (zh), 旋轴

• Dutch: wartel (nl)
• Esperanto: turnkruco
• Finnish: leikari (fi)
• French: émerillon (fr) m
• German: Wirbel (de) m
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Irish: udalán m
• Japanese: スイベル (suiberu)
• Plautdietsch: Woawel f
• Portuguese: elo giratório m
• Russian: вертлю́г (ru) m (vertljúg)
• Slovak: otočný čap, obrtlík
• Spanish: eslabón giratorio

military: small piece of ordnance — see swivel gun

slang: strength of mind or character

• Finnish: muna (fi)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}

dance: rotating of the hips

• Finnish: lanteiden pyöritys
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}

Verb

swivel (third-person singular simple present swivels, present participle swiveling or swivelling, simple past and past participle swiveled or swivelled)

1. (intransitive) To swing or turn, as on a pin or pivot.
   • 2013, Delme Parfitt in Wales Online, Cardiff City 1 - 0 Swansea City: Steven Caulker heads Bluebirds to South Wales derby win (3 November 2013)

     As expected, Swansea began the game with some patient passing and the first chance fell to striker Michu in the fourth minute when he controlled a cross by Jonjo Shelvey and swivelled in the penalty box, only to fire over the bar.

Translations

To swing or turn, as on a pin or pivot.

• Bulgarian: въртя се около ос (vǎrtja se okolo os)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 转动 (zh)

• Esperanto: pivoti
• French: pivoter (fr)
• German: pivotieren (de)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}

References

“swivel”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• wevils