swab

/swɑb/

/swɒb/

Other forms: swabs; swabbed; swabbing

If a pirate tells you to swab the deck, get out the mop! A swab is a piece of absorbent material on a stick, like a mop, but it can also be small, like a cotton swab used for cleaning ears.

As a verb, to swab means to use a swab. So if you're a nurse assisting a surgeon, you might swab an incision, and if you're working on crime scene, you might swab the area for clues. On land, a swab is usually a small piece of cotton, but the original meaning of the noun was "mop used on a ship," and for a while it was also a popular derogatory term for a low-ranking sailor.

Definitions of swab

1. noun

   cleaning implement consisting of absorbent material fastened to a handle; for cleaning floors
   synonyms: mop, swob

   types:

   dry mop, dust mop, dustmop

   a dry swab for dusting floors

   sponge mop

   a wet mop with a sponge as the absorbent

   type of:

   cleaning device, cleaning equipment, cleaning implement

   any of a large class of implements used for cleaning
2. noun

   implement consisting of a small piece of cotton that is used to apply medication or cleanse a wound or obtain a specimen of a secretion
   type of:

   implement

   instrumentation (a piece of equipment or tool) used to effect an end
3. verb

   apply (usually a liquid) to a surface
   synonyms: dab, swob

   type of:

   apply, put on

   apply to a surface
4. verb

   wash with a swab or a mop
   “swab the ship's decks”

   synonyms: swob

   type of:

   mop, mop up, wipe up

   to wash or wipe with or as if with a mop