swar

n. [ AS. sweard skin, covering; akin to OFries. swarge, D. zwoord, G. schwarte, Icel. svör&unr_;r skin, sward of the earth. ] 1. Skin; covering. [ Obs. or Prov. Eng. ] Halliwell. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The grassy surface of land; that part of the soil which is filled with the roots of grass; turf. [ 1913 Webster ]

The sward was trim as any garden lawn. Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

Sward pork, bacon in large fitches. [ Prov. Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (a) A plow for turning up grass land. (b) A lawn mower. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Covered with sward. Mrs. Browning. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Covered with sward or grass. [ 1913 Webster ]

imp. of Swear. [ Obs. or Poetic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Cophetua sware a royal oath. Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ Cf. Swerve. ] To grow languid; to faint. [ Scot. ] “To swarf for very hunger.” Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. Swerve. ] The grit worn away from grindstones in grinding cutlery wet. [ Prov. Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. swarm, AS. swearm; akin to D. zwerm, G. schwarm, OHG. swaram, Icel. svarmr a tumult, Sw. svärm a swarm, Dan. svaerm, and G. schwirren to whiz, to buzz, Skr. svar to sound, and perhaps to E. swear. √177. Cf. Swerve, Swirl. ] 1. A large number or mass of small animals or insects, especially when in motion. “A deadly swarm of hornets.” Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Especially, a great number of honeybees which emigrate from a hive at once, and seek new lodgings under the direction of a queen; a like body of bees settled permanently in a hive. “A swarm of bees.” Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Hence, any great number or multitude, as of people in motion, or sometimes of inanimate objects; as, a swarm of meteorites. [ 1913 Webster ]

Those prodigious swarms that had settled themselves in every part of it [ Italy ]. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Multitude; crowd; throng. [ 1913 Webster ]