swimmer
- 01 A2 Elementary
a person who swims, especially for exercise or in a race.
a person who swims, whether for recreation, fitness, or competitive sport.
Simple“The lifeguard watched the young swimmer carefully as she moved toward the deep end.”
In context“Olympic swimmers often spend several hours in the pool each day to refine their technique and build endurance.”
Synonymsbather - 02 C1 Advanced
a casual or funny way to talk about sperm.
a colloquial reference to spermatozoa, typically used in the plural.
Simple“The doctor checked his swimmers to see if he could have children.”
In context“The fertility specialist explained that the count and motility of the swimmers were within the normal range.”
UsageUsually used in the plural form.
Teacher's tipThis is a common euphemism in casual conversations about fertility, but it is not appropriate for formal medical reports.
Synonyms - 03 C2 Proficiency
a traditional boiled dumpling from the Norfolk area of England.
a traditional Norfolk dumpling made from bread dough and boiled.
Simple“My grandmother always served beef stew with fluffy swimmers on top.”
In context“The local pub is famous for its traditional Norfolk swimmers, served alongside a rich vegetable broth.”
Teacher's tipThis is a very specific regional term from East Anglia; most English speakers outside that area will not know this meaning.
Synonymsdumpling
From Middle English swimmere, equivalent to swim + -er. The dumplings are so called because they are often served in stew.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.