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1 VERB If you swallow something, you cause it to go from your mouth down into your stomach. □ [V n] You are asked to swallow a capsule containing vitamin B. □ [V ] Polly took a bite of the apple, chewed and swallowed. ● N‑COUNT Swallow is also a noun. □  Jan lifted her glass and took a quick swallow.

2 VERB If you swallow , you make a movement in your throat as if you are swallowing something, often because you are nervous or frightened. □ [V ] Nancy swallowed hard and shook her head.

3 VERB If someone swallows a story or a statement, they believe it completely. □ [V n] It was vital that he swallowed the story about Juanita being in that motel room that night.

4 N‑COUNT A swallow is a kind of small bird with pointed wings and a forked tail.

5a bitter pill to swallow → see pill

▸  swallow up

1 PHRASAL VERB If one thing is swallowed up by another, it becomes part of the first thing and no longer has a separate identity of its own. □ [V P n] During the 1980s monster publishing houses started to swallow up smaller companies. [Also V n P ]

2 PHRASAL VERB If something swallows up money or resources, it uses them entirely while giving very little in return. □ [V P n] The 20 per cent deposit will swallow up most of the 20,000 he has set aside. □ [V -ed P ] Farmers could see a quarter of their income swallowed up by the interest rate rise. [Also V n P ]

3 PHRASAL VERB If a person or thing is swallowed up by something, they disappear into it so that you cannot see them any more. □ [be V -ed P ] He headed back towards the flea market and was quickly swallowed up in the crowd. □ [V P n] Weeds had swallowed up the garden. [Also V n P ]

swam /swæ m/ Swam is the past tense of swim .

swamp /swɒ mp/ (swamps , swamping , swamped )

1 N‑VAR A swamp is an area of very wet land with wild plants growing in it.

2 VERB If something swamps a place or object, it fills it with water. □ [V n] A rogue wave swamped the boat.

3 VERB [usu passive] If you are swamped by things or people, you have more of them than you can deal with. □ [be V -ed] He is swamped with work.

swamp|land /swɒ mplænd/ (swamplands ) N‑VAR Swampland is an area of land that is always very wet.

swampy /swɒ mpi/ (swampier , swampiest ) ADJ A swampy area of land is always very wet.

swan /swɒ n/ (swans , swanning , swanned )

1 N‑COUNT A swan is a large bird with a very long neck. Swans live on rivers and lakes and are usually white.

2 VERB If you describe someone as swanning around or swanning off , you mean that they go and have fun, rather than working or taking care of their responsibilities. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ [V prep/adv] She spends her time swanning around the world.

swank /swæ ŋk/ (swanks , swanking , swanked ) VERB If someone is swanking , they are speaking about things they own or things they have achieved, in order to impress other people. [mainly BRIT , INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ [V + about ] I have always been against swanking about all the things I have been lucky enough to win. [Also V ]

swanky /swæ ŋki/ (swankier , swankiest ) ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you describe something as swanky , you mean that it is fashionable and expensive. [INFORMAL ] □  …one of the swanky hotels that line the Pacific shore at Acapulco.

swa n song also swan-song N‑SING Someone's swan song is the last time that they do something for which they are famous, for example the last time that an actor gives a performance in the theatre. □  I competed in the Commonwealth Games in Christchurch, which was my swan song.

swap /swɒ p/ (swaps , swapping , swapped ) also swop