Swash
swäSH
NOUN
The rush of seawater up the beach after the breaking of a wave.
The motion or sound of water dashing or washing against something.
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Swash
swäSH
NOUN
The rush of seawater up the beach after the breaking of a wave.
The motion or sound of water dashing or washing against something.
VERB
(Of water or an object in water) Move with a splashing sound.
(Of a person) Flamboyantly swagger about or wield a sword.
EXAMPLE SENTENCES
“She felt so fabulous in her new heels that she swashed down the sidewalk.”
“Break out the kiddie pool and let the little ones play and swash in the water.”
“Watching the swash of water on the beach is how I relax in the evenings.”
WORD ORIGIN
Imitative, mid-16th century
WHY THIS WORD?
You might have heard a pirate called a “swashbuckler” — the “swash” part of that word means “to flamboyantly swagger or strut.” Just picture Inigo Montoya from “The Princess Bride”: “My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.” Use “swash” as either a noun or a verb, and it can refer to the aforementioned swagger or the rushing motion and sound of water. However, the etymology of “swash” can’t be traced back to a particular language, because it’s imitative. That means the word imitates a particular sound, such as the swash of moving water back and forth or the swash of a sword through the air.
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