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swear - What does it mean?

Definition of 'swear'

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) sweren, swerien, from (etyl) through Proto-Indo-European.

Verb

  • To take an oath.
  • *
  • *:The Bat—they called him the Bat.. He'd never been in stir, the bulls had never mugged him, he didn't run with a mob, he played a lone hand, and fenced his stuff so that even the fence couldn't swear he knew his face.
  • (lb) To use offensive language.
    • Synonyms
    * See also
    Usage notes
    * In sense 1, this is a catenative verb that takes the to infinitive . See
    Synonyms
    * See also
    Derived terms
    * swear by * swear like a trooper (rel-mid3) * swear on a stack of Bibles * swear out (rel-mid3) * swear to God * swear word (rel-bottom)

    Etymology 2

    From the above verb, or from (etyl) sware, from (etyl) swaru, from (etyl) .

    Noun

    (en-noun)
  • A swearword.

    • Etymology 3

    From (etyl) swer, swar, from (etyl) .

    Alternative forms

    * (l), (l), (l)

    Adjective

    (en-adj)
  • Heavy.
  • Top-heavy; too high.
  • Dull; heavy; lazy; slow; reluctant; unwilling.
  • Niggardly.
  • A lazy time; a short rest during working hours (especially field labour); a siesta.
    • Derived terms
    * (l) * (l) * (l)

    Verb

    (en-verb)
  • To be lazy; rest for a short while during working hours.

    • Anagrams

    * English irregular verbs English reporting verbs

    Similar to 'swear'

    shear, sour, scour, scar, shower, sheer, skier, sewer, sear, soar, suhur, skyr, skewer, seer, saur, shyer, sawer, sawyer, scur, sayer, suer, shier, sower, shirr, scaur, sweer, skar, shiur, sowar, sorr, squier, shoer, shewer, skirr, sihr, squirr, squir, shoar, swayer, scower, suwar, schwar, suhoor