Word
Definition
n. a large group of insects, like bees, moving together in one direction. It can also describe a big, busy crowd of people.
n. a large number of insects or small organisms, especially when in motion; by extension, a dense moving crowd of people or objects.
Examples
“A swarm of bees gathered around the old oak tree.”
“The security guards struggled to manage the swarm of fans waiting outside the stadium gates.”
“In the context of decentralized computing, a swarm refers to a collective of independent agents or nodes that coordinate their actions to solve complex problems without a central controller.”
Examples
simple
“A swarm of bees gathered around the old oak tree.”
contextual
“The security guards struggled to manage the swarm of fans waiting outside the stadium gates.”
complex
“In the context of decentralized computing, a swarm refers to a collective of independent agents or nodes that coordinate their actions to solve complex problems without a central controller.”
Usage
Often used with the preposition 'of' followed by a plural noun.
Real-World Examples
“In the past, Moscow would send a swarm of drones a couple of times a week, usually at night.” “Watford players swarm Iker Bravo after he opened the scoring against Southampton.” “Conan Doyle imagined automobiles whisking a “swarm of sharpshooters” into battle.” Etymology
From Middle English swarm, from Old English swearm (“swarm, multitude”), from Proto-West Germanic swarm, from Proto-Germanic swarmaz (“swarm, dizziness”), from Proto-Indo-European *swer- (“to buzz, hum”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian Swoorm (“swarm”), Dutch zwerm, German Schwarm, Danish sværm, Swedish svärm, Icelandic svarmur (“tumult, swarm”), Latin susurrus (“whispering, humming”), Lithuanian surma (“a pipe”), Russian свире́ль (svirélʹ, “a pipe, reed”). The verb is from Middle English swarmen, swermen, from Old English swirman (“to swarm”), from Proto-West Germanic swarmijan, from Proto-Germanic swarmijaną (“to swarm”), from the noun. Cognate with Scots swairm, swerm (“to swarm”), Dutch zwermen, German schwärmen, Danish sværme, Swedish svärma.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domain
- 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.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL 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: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/swarm
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0