Meaning & Definition of word "Swat"
to
Swat
/swɒt/
noun:
- 1. A sharp blow or strike.
- Example: With a quick swat, the cat caught the toy mouse.
- 2. A sudden action to eliminate something troublesome.
- Example: His swat at the problem showed he was determined to solve it.
verb:
- 1. To hit or strike something with a sharp blow.
- Example: She swatted the fly away from her face with a newspaper.
- 2. To remove or eliminate something by striking it with a quick motion.
- Example: He swatted at the annoying mosquito buzzing around his ear.
- 3. To act decisively to thwart or stop something.
- Example: The coach swatted down any negativity among the players before the big game.
Etymology
Origin unknown, possibly imitative of the sound of hitting.
Common Phrases and Expressions
swat team:
A specialized police unit trained for high-risk operations.
swat at:
To attempt to hit or swat something away.
give a swat:
To strike something sharply.
Related Words
smack:
To hit or slap something with the palm.
slap:
A quick hit or stroke, usually with an open hand.
strike:
To hit forcibly and deliberately.
Slang Meanings of swat
Meaning: To forcefully dismiss or criticize someone.
Example Sentence: He really got swatted by the teacher for his behavior.
Meaning: To quickly eliminate something.
Example Sentence: I need to swat those tasks off my to-do list.