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swish (swĭsh)
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v. swished, swish·ing, swish·es
v.intr.
1. To move with a hissing or whistling sound.
2. To rustle, as silk.
v.tr.
1. To cause to move with a swishing sound: The horse swished its tail.
2. To swirl or agitate (a liquid) in a glass or in the mouth with a swishing sound.
3. To whip with a rod.
n.
1.
a. A sharp whistling or rustling sound: the swish of scythes.
b. A movement making such a sound.
2. Basketball A shot that goes through the net of the basket without hitting the backboard or rim.
3. A rod used for flogging.
4. Offensive Slang Used as a disparaging term for a gay man.
adj.
1. Chiefly British Fashionable; posh: "a swish pastry shop on the Rue du Bac" (Julia Child).
2. Offensive Slang Effeminate.
[Imitative.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

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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