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swap

(swŏp)

v. swapped, swap·ping, swaps

v.intr.

To trade one thing for another.

v.tr.

To exchange (one thing) for another.

1. An exchange of one thing for another.

2. A contract in which two parties agree to exchange periodic interest payments, especially when one payment is at a fixed rate and the other varies according to the performance of a reference rate, such as the prime rate.

[Middle English swappen, to strike, strike the hands together in closing a bargain.]

swapper n.

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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