| 释义 |
swab
I. noun
or swob \ˈswäb also -wȯb\
(-s)
Etymology: probably from obsolete Dutch swabbe, from Middle Dutch; akin to Low German swabber mop
1.
a.
(1) : a mop used especially aboard a naval vessel
(2) : an absorbent bundle (as of rags) used for cleaning or for applying a substance to a surface
< dip the swab … in clean ammonia water, and rub the carpet face hard with it — Emily Holt >
b.
(1) : a wad of absorbent material (as cotton) wound around one end of a small stick and used for applying medication or for removing material from an area
< swabs used for applications in the treatment of … conditions of the nose — D.W.Maurer & V.H.Vogel >
(2) : a specimen taken with a swab
< a throat swab >
c. : patch I 7b
d. : a hemp brush used in founding especially for holding water, moistening mold joints, spraying on edges, or spreading blacking on dry-sand molds
2.
a. : a useless or contemptible person
< considered it out of the question that a little swab of his age could have the sense to appreciate her — Blue Book >
b. : gob III
c. Britain : a naval officer's epaulet
3. : a loosely fitting plunger with an internal check valve that is run on a cable and used for lifting fluids from a drilled well
II. transitive verb
or swob \“\
(swabbed or swobbed ; swabbed or swobbed ; swabbing or swobbing ; swabs or swobs)
Etymology: partly from Middle English swabben to sway; akin to obsolete Dutch zwabben to sway, Low German swabber mop, swabben to splash, sway, flap; probably all of imitative origin; partly back-formation from swabber
1.
a. : to clean with or as if with a swab : wipe up : mop
< swab the decks >
< got the towel and swabbed off the plates — Wallace Stegner >
< swabbing down the boat's hull >
< swabbed up the … rich beef gravy with … crusty French bread — H.A.Sinclair >
b. : to apply medication to with a swab
< cleanse the wound and swab it with iodine >
c. : to use a swab in applying (medication)
< swab iodine over the wound >
2. : to draw out (liquid) from an oil well with a swab |