swash Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun the movement or sound of water
    • the swash of waves on the beach
  2. verb make violent, noisy movements
  3. verb dash a liquid upon or against
    plash; splatter; splash; spatter; splosh.
    • The mother splashed the baby's face with water
  4. verb show off
    blow; boast; gasconade; gas; brag; tout; bluster; shoot a line; vaunt.
  5. verb act in an arrogant, overly self-assured, or conceited manner
    swagger; bluster.

WordNet

Swash noun
Etymology
Cf. Swash, v. i., Squash, v. t.
Definitions
  1. (Arch.) An oval figure, whose moldings are oblique to the axis of the work. Moxon.
Swash adjective
Etymology
Cf. Swash, v. i., Squash, v. t.
Definitions
  1. Soft, like fruit too ripe; swashy. Prov. Eng. Pegge.
Swash intransitive verb
Etymology
Probably of imitative origin; cf. Sw. svasska to splash, and, for sense 3, Sw. svassa to bully, to rodomontade.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Swashed ; present participle & verbal noun Swashing
Definitions
  1. To dash or flow noisily, as water; to splash; as, water swashing on a shallow place.
  2. To fall violently or noisily. Obs. Holinshed.
  3. To bluster; to make a great noise; to vapor or brag.
Swash noun
Definitions
  1. Impulse of water flowing with violence; a dashing or splashing of water.
  2. A narrow sound or channel of water lying within a sand bank, or between a sand bank and the shore, or a bar over which the sea washes.
  3. Liquid filth; wash; hog mash. Obs.
  4. A blustering noise; a swaggering behavior. Obs.
  5. A swaggering fellow; a swasher.

Webster 1913