Word: swing Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From Middle English swyngen, from Old English swingan, from Proto-West Germanic *swingan, from Proto-Germanic *swinganą (compare Low German swingen, German schwingen, Dutch zwingen, Swedish svinga), from Proto-Indo-European *swenk-, *sweng- (compare Scottish Gaelic seang (“thin”)). Related to swink. Pronunciation: /ˈswɪŋ/ 1. The act, or an instance, of swinging. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: For a time he kept to the ground, but finally, discovering no spoor indicative of nearby meat, he took to the trees. With the first dizzy swing from tree to tree all the old joy of living swept over him. Vain regrets and dull heartache were forgotten. Now was he living. Now, indeed, was the true happiness of perfect freedom his. 2. The manner in which something is swung. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: He worked tirelessly to improve his golf swing. Example: Door swing indicates direction the door opens. 3. The sweep or compass of a swinging body. Labels: countable, uncountable 4. A line, cord, or other thing suspended and hanging loose, upon which anything may swing. Labels: countable, uncountable 5. A hanging seat that can swing back and forth, in a children's playground, for acrobats in a circus, or on a porch for relaxing. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: To Edward […] he was terrible, nerve-inflaming, poisonously asphyxiating. He sat rocking himself in the late Mr. Churchill's swing chair, smoking and twaddling. Example: A German court has ruled that a landlord was within her rights to evict a man for persistently using a squeaky swing set as a sex prop in his flat late at night. 6. An energetic and acrobatic late-1930s partner-based dance style, also known as jitterbug and lindy-hop. Labels: countable, uncountable 7. The genre of music associated with this dance style. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: It makes no diff'rence / if it's sweet or hot. / Just give that rhythm / ev'rything you've got! / It don't mean a thing / if it ain't got that swing. 8. The amount of change towards or away from something. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: Miss Pole came round with a swing to as vehement a belief in the sorrowful tale as she had been sceptical before […] 9. The amount of change towards or away from something. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: The polls showed a wide swing to Labour. 10. Sideways movement of the ball as it flies through the air. Labels: countable, uncountable 11. Capacity of a turning lathe, as determined by the diameter of the largest object that can be turned in it. Labels: countable, uncountable 12. In a musical theater production, a performer who understudies several roles. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: I started as a swing. I mostly played Joanne and Mrs. Jefferson, the “Seasons of Love” soloist. I closed it out. So I was there for about the last four or five years. 13. A basic dance step in which a pair link hands and turn round together in a circle. Labels: countable, uncountable 14. The maximum amount of change that has occurred or can occur; the sum of the maximum changes in any direction. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: Jesus' finishing has been one of the main concerns - since the start of last season the 23-year-old has underperformed his Premier League expected goals tally by 6.97goals ^([sic]) (in short, he has scored seven fewer goals than would be expected from the chances presented to him). In contrast, Haaland is overperforming by 6.83 goals since joining Dortmund, which is almost a 14-goal swing between the pair. 15. Free course; unrestrained liberty. Labels: countable, obsolete, uncountable Example: Take thy swing. Example: To prevent anything which may prove an obstacle on the full swing of his genius. 16. Influence or power of anything put in motion. Labels: countable, uncountable 17. A type of hook with the arm more extended. Labels: countable, uncountable