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swing

n. countable
C1 Advanced Oxford US //ˈswɪŋ// UK //swˈɪŋ// swing Archaic Slang

n. a seat that hangs from ropes or chains and moves back and forth. You often see these in parks for children to play on.

n. a seat suspended by ropes or chains on which someone may sit and move to and fro. Also refers to the act of moving in such a rhythmic, oscillating manner.


SIMPLE

The children are playing on the swing in the garden.

CONTEXTUAL

She sat on the wooden swing and pushed off the ground with her feet to go higher.

COMPLEX

The rhythmic swing of the pendulum provided a steady, hypnotic pulse that filled the quiet library, marking each passing second with mechanical precision.

Synonyms
Origin

From Middle English swyngen, from Old English swingan, from Proto-West Germanic swingan, from Proto-Germanic swinganą (compare Low German swingen, German schwingen, Dutch zwingen, Swedish svinga), from Proto-Indo-European swenk-, sweng- (compare Scottish Gaelic seang (“thin”)). Related to swink.

Usage

Commonly used with the verb 'to go on' or 'to play on' when referring to the playground equipment.

Idioms8 entries

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