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swage

(swāj)

1. A tool used in bending or shaping cold metal.

2. A stamp or die for marking or shaping metal with a hammer.

3. A swage block.

tr.v. swaged, swag·ing, swag·es

To bend or shape by or as if by using a swage.

[Early Modern English, groove or depression on an anvil for shaping metal, from Middle English, ornamental border or molding on a piece of metalwork, from Middle French souage, ornamental border or molding like a torus on a piece of metalwork : Middle French soue, rope, cord (from Old French, from Late Latin sōca; probably akin to Greek sōkarion, small rope (probably diminutive of *sōko-, rope) and sokkos, lasso), and perhaps ultimately of Mediterranean substrate origin) + Middle French -age, -age (the ornamental border being so called from the ropelike shape of a torus).]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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