Emily Dickinson Lexicon

SU'TURE, n.²

In botany, the line or seam formed by the union of two margins in any part of a plant.

SU'TUR-ED, a.

Having sutures; united.

SUV'E-RAN, a. [Fr. souverain; Sp. and Port. soberano; It. sovrano; from L. supernus, superus, super. The barbarous Norman word souvereign, seems to be formed of L. super and regnum; a strange blunder. The early authors, Chaucer and others, wrote this word soverain, souvereyn, which were more correct than the modern spelling.]

1. Supreme in power; possessing supreme dominion; as, a suveran prince. The Creator is the suveran ruler of the universe.
2. Supreme; chief; superior to all others.
3. Supremely efficacious; superior to all others; as, a suveran remedy.
4. Supreme; pertaining to the first magistrate of a nation; as, suveran authority.

SUV'E-RAN, n.

1. A supreme lord or ruler; one who possesses the highest authority without control. Some kings are suverans in their dominions; the authority of others is limited. The Creator is the suveran of all that he has made.
2. A supreme magistrate, lord or king. O let my suv'ran turn away his face. – Shak.

SUV'ER-AN-LY, adv.

Supremely; in the highest degree. [Obs.] – Boyle.

SUV'E-RAN-TY, n.

Supreme power; supremacy; the possession of uncontrollable power. Absolute suveranty belongs only to God.

SU'ZE-RAIN-TY, n. [Fr. suzeraineté, from suzerain, a lord paramount.]

Paramount authority or command. – Enfantin.

SWAB, n. [Sax. swebban, to sweep; formed perhaps on the root of wipe, as G. schweben, to wave or soar, is on that of wave, and D. zweepen, on that of whip.]

1. A mop for cleaning floors; on board of ships, a large mop or bunch of old rope yarn, used to clean the deck and cabin.
2. A bit of spunge fastened to a handle for cleansing the mouth of the sick, or for giving them nourishment. – Miner.

SWAB, v.t. [supra.]

To clean with a mop; to wipe when wet or after washing; as, to swab the deck of a ship.

SWAB'BED, pp.

Cleaned with a mop.

SWAB'BER, n. [D. zwabber.]

One that uses a swab to clean a floor or deck; on board of ships of war, an inferior officer, whose business is to see that the ship is kept clean.

SWAB'BING, ppr.

Cleaning with a mop.

SWAD, n.

1. A pod, as of beans or peas. [Local.]
2. A short fat person. [Obs.] – B. Jonson.
3. In New England, a lump, mass or bunch; also, a crowd. [Vulgar.]

SWAD'DLE, n.

Clothes bound tight round the body. They put me in bed in all my swaddles. – Addison.

SWAD'DLE, v.t. [Sax. swathe, swethel, a border, fringe or band; beswethan, to swathe; D. zwaad, G. schwaden, a swath.]

1. To swathe; to bind, as with a bandage; to bind tight with clothes; used generally of infants; as, to swaddle a child. They swaddled me in my night-gown. – Addison.
2. To beat; to cudgel. [Low and not in use.] – Hudibras.

SWAD'DLED, pp.

Swathed; bound in tight clothes.

SWAD'DLING, ppr.

Swathing; binding in tight clothes.

SWAD'DLING-BAND, or SWAD'DLING-CLOTH, n.

A band or cloth wrapped round an infant. – Luke ii.

SWAG, v.i. [Qu. Sax. sigan, to fall; Ice. sweigia; Sw. svag; Dan. id. feeble; Dan. svækker, to weaken. See Weak.]

To sink down by its weight; to lean. – Grew.

SWAG'-BEL-LI-ED, a.

Having a prominent overhanging belly. – Shak.

SWAGE, n.

Among workmen in sheet-iron, a tool used for making moldings upon sheet-iron.

SWAGE, v.t.¹ [probably allied to swag and weak; from falling or throwing down.]

To ease; to soften; to mitigate. Apt words have power to swage, / The tumors of a troubled mind. – Milton. [See Assuage, which is the word now Med.]

SWAGE, v.t.²

To use a swage; to fashion a piece of iron by drawing it into a groove or mold, having the required shape. – Haldiman.

SWAG'GER, v.i. [Sax. swegan, to sound or rattle.]

To bluster; to bully; to boast or brag noisily; to be tumultuously proud. What a pleasure it is to swagger at the bar. – Arbuthnot. To be great is not to swagger at our footmen. – Collier.

SWAG'GER-ER, n.

A blusterer; a bully; a boastful noisy fellow. – Shak.