Word
swap
US/ˈswɑp/
UK/swˈɒp/
Definitions
01to exchange
B1 · Intermediate
v. to give something to someone and receive something else from them.
v. to exchange one thing for another; often used transitively with 'for' or 'with'.
“I swapped my sandwich for her apple because I wasn't very hungry.”
“The two collectors decided to swap their duplicate stamps to help each other complete their respective albums.”
Usage
Often used with the preposition 'for' to indicate the item received.
02an exchange
B1 · Intermediate Countable noun
n. an act of giving one thing and receiving another.
n. the act of exchanging two comparable things or people.
“We did a quick swap of seats so that he could sit next to the window.”
“The manager suggested a personnel swap between the marketing and sales departments to encourage fresh perspectives.”
Synonyms
03financial contract
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Finance Technical
n. a special agreement between two companies to trade different types of payments.
n. a derivative contract through which two parties exchange the cash flows or liabilities from two different financial instruments.
“The company entered into an interest rate swap to lower its borrowing costs.”
“Institutional investors often use currency swaps to hedge against potential fluctuations in foreign exchange rates.”
04computing memory
C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Computing Technical
n. space on a computer's hard drive used as extra memory when the main memory is full.
n. the use of a hard disk as virtual memory to store data that cannot fit in the physical RAM.
“The computer slowed down because it was using too much swap space.”
“The system administrator increased the swap partition to prevent the server from crashing during peak processing hours.”
Usage
Often used as an uncountable noun in this context.
Synonyms
Etymology
From Middle English swappen (“to swap”), originally meaning "to hurl" or "to strike", the word alludes to striking hands together when making an exchange; probably from Old English *swappian, a secondary form of Old English swāpan (“to swoop”). Cognate with German schwappen (“to slosh, slop”). Compare also Middle English swippen (“to strike, hit”), from Old English swipian (“to scourge, strike, beat, lash”), Old Norse svipa (“to swoop, flash, whip, look after, look around”). More at swipe.
From the verb swap. First attested in 1620.
From Middle English swap, swappe (“a blow, strike, lash from a whip”), from the verb (see Etymology 1 above).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Idioms
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B1 · Intermediate
- Updated
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QR code
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