Emily Dickinson Lexicon

SWING'ING-LY, adv.

Vastly; hugely. [Vulgar.]

SWIN'GLE, n.

In wire-works, a wooden spoke fixed to barrel that draws the wire; also, a crank. – Cyc.

SWIN'GLE, v.i. [from swing.]

1. To dangle; to wave hanging.
2. To swing for pleasure. [Not in use.]

SWIN'GLE, v.t. [Sax. swingan, to beat. See Swing.]

To beat; to clean flax by beating it with a wooden instrument resembling a large knife, and called in New England swingling-knife. Flax is first broke and then swingled.

SWIN'GLED, pp.

Beat and cleaned by a swingling-knife.

SWIN'GLE-TREE, n.

A whiffle-tree or whipple-tree.

SWIN'GLING, ppr.

Beating and cleaning, as flax.

SWIN'GLING-KNIFE, or SWIN'GLE, n.

A wooden instrument like a large knife, about two feet long, with one thin edge, used for cleaning flax of the shives.

SWIN'GLING-TOW, n.

The coarse part of flax, separate from the finer by swingling and hatcheling.

SWING'-TREE, n. [swing and tree.]

The bar of a carriage to which the traces are fastened. In America, it often or generally called the whiffle-tree, or whipple-tree.

SWING'-WHEEL, n. [swing and wheel.]

In a time-piece, the wheel which drives the pendulum. In a watch or balance clock, it is called the crown-wheel. – Cyc.

SWIN-ISH, a. [from swine.]

Befitting swine; like swine; gross; hoggish; brutal; as, a swinish drunkard or sot; swinish gluttony.

SWIN-ISH-LY, adv.

In a swinish manner.

SWINK, n.

Labor; toil; drudgery. [Obs.] – Spenser.

SWINK, v.i. [Sax. swincan.]

To labor; to toil; to drudge. [Obs.] – Spenser.

SWINK, v.t.

To overlabor. [Obs.] – Milton.

SWINK'ER, n.

A laborer; a plowman. [Obs.] – Chaucer.

SWIPE, n.

A swape or sweep – which see.

SWIP'PER, a. [Sax. swipan, to move quick.]

Nimble; quick. [Not in use.]

SWISS, n.

1. A native of Switzerland or Swisserland.
2. The language of Swisserland.

SWITCH, n. [Sw. svege.]

1. A small flexible twig or rod. On the medal, Mauritania leads a horse by a thread with one hand, and in the other holds a switch. – Addison.
2. On railways, a contrivance for transferring a car from one track to another.

SWITCH, v.i.

To walk with a jerk. [Obsolete or local.]

SWITCH, v.t.

To strike with a small twig or rod; to beat; to lash. – Chapman.

SWITCH'EL, n.

A beverage made of molasses and water.

SWIV-EL, n. [swiv'l; from Sax. swifan, to turn or whirl round; or from the root of whiffle, – which see. In D. weifelen is to palter, to waver, to whiffle.]

1. A ring which turns upon a staple; or a strong link of iron used in mooring ships, and which permits the bridles to be turned round; any ring or staple that turns. – Mar. Dict.
2. A small cannon or piece of artillery, carrying a shot of half a pound, fixed on a socket on the top of a ship's side, stern or bow, or in her tops, in such a manner as to be turned in any direction. – Mar. Dict.