swab

1 of 2

noun

1
a
: mop
especially : a yarn mop
b(1)
: a wad of absorbent material usually wound around one end of a small stick and used especially for applying medication or for removing material from an area
(2)
: a specimen taken with a swab
c
: a sponge or cloth patch attached to a long handle and used to clean the bore of a firearm
2
a
: a useless or contemptible person
b
: sailor, gob

swab

2 of 2

verb

swabbed; swabbing

transitive verb

1
: to clean with or as if with a swab
2
: to apply medication to with a swab
swabbed the wound with iodine

Examples of swab in a Sentence

Noun Use a cotton swab dipped in alcohol to disinfect the area. The doctor took a throat swab and sent it to the lab. Verb The nurse swabbed the cut with a disinfectant.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Share [Findings] Skin swabs are three times as accurate as fecal samples at predicting a person’s age. Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper's Magazine, 28 Feb. 2024 However, a driver is not legally obligated to submit to field sobriety tests, pre-arrest breath tests, or cheek swabs at a DUI checkpoint, according to Shouse California Law Group. Angela Rodriguez, Sacramento Bee, 9 Feb. 2024 Tools commonly left behind included surgical swabs, clamps, drill bits, scalpels, and, in one case, even part of a pair of wire cutters. Matt Benoit, Discover Magazine, 19 Jan. 2024 In Seattle, Los Angeles, Newark, and Washington D.C., just nasal swabs will be collected. Sherri Gordon, Health, 10 Nov. 2023 The program collects samples from international travelers who enter through one of six U.S. airports and volunteer to receive a nasal swab. Claire Bugos, Verywell Health, 7 Nov. 2023 The team sends people vaginal, penile or anal swabs with instructions to collect samples and mail the swab back to Johns Hopkins for analysis. Sara Reardon, Scientific American, 20 Dec. 2023 This has previously been observed in little brown bats and noctule bats, but since Fasel et al. did not take a vaginal swab to test for the presence of sperm, this observation is inconclusive. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 27 Nov. 2023 According to the study, 100% of those in the treatment group fully recovered (as determined by swab tests) after one week as compared to 60% of those in the control group. Hasina Khatib, Allure, 5 Jan. 2024
Verb
Women can conduct routine vaginal swabbing themselves rather than submit to stirrups. Usha Lee McFarling, STAT, 12 Jan. 2024 The family decided not to test even when others became sick because of the costs and challenges of swabbing young children, but waited more than 10 days to return to work and day care. Fenit Nirappil, Anchorage Daily News, 7 Aug. 2023 Shortly after delivery, a nurse swabbed each baby’s mouth and body with a gauze soaked either in saline or in the mother’s vaginal fluid. Byclaudia Lopez Lloreda, science.org, 15 June 2023 Another method some have floated to try to improve the accuracy of COVID testing has been to swab inside the throat or mouth as well, similar to what is done for some tests in many countries overseas. Alexander Tin, CBS News, 21 Dec. 2023 Genetic testing for syphilis works best when there are primary ulcers or moist lesions from which bacteria can be swabbed. Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 22 Nov. 2023 Anyone can help save a life by swabbing their cheek. Jon Stojan, USA TODAY, 20 June 2023 Mina is a bit less worried about user error with swabbing except in cases where someone is right at the border of being able to see a line or not. Sam Jones, Scientific American, 19 Dec. 2023 This involves using a special cotton swab to collect a specimen inside both sides of the nose by swabbing for approximately 15 seconds. Sherry Christiansen Updated, Verywell Health, 3 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'swab.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

probably from obsolete Dutch swabbe; akin to Low German swabber mop

Verb

back-formation from swabber

First Known Use

Noun

1653, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1719, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of swab was in 1653

Dictionary Entries Near swab

Cite this Entry

“Swab.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/swab. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

swab

1 of 2 noun
1
b
: a wad of absorbent material usually wound around one end of a small stick and used especially for applying medicine or for removing material (as from a wound)
also : a sample taken with a swab
2
: sailor

swab

2 of 2 verb
swabbed; swabbing
: to use a swab on

Medical Definition

swab

1 of 2 noun
1
: a wad of absorbent material usually wound around one end of a small stick and used for applying medication or for removing material from an area
2
: a specimen taken with a swab
a throat swab

swab

2 of 2 transitive verb
swabbed; swabbing
: to apply medication to with a swab
swabbed the wound with iodine

More from Merriam-Webster on swab

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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