swell : Idioms & Phrases


Ground swell

  • noun an obvious change of public opinion or political sentiment that occurs without leadership or overt expression
    • there was a ground swell of antiwar sentiment
  • noun a broad and deep undulation of the ocean
    ground swell.
WordNet
  • . (a) (Bot.) The plant groundsel. Obs. Holland. (b) A broad, deep swell or undulation of the ocean, caused by a long continued gale, and felt even at a remote distance after the gale has ceased.
Webster 1913

heavy swell

  • noun a broad and deep undulation of the ocean
    ground swell.
WordNet

high-swelling

High"-swell`ing adjective
Definitions
  1. Inflated; boastful.
Webster 1913

Organ swell

  • (Mus.), a certain number of pipes inclosed in a box, the uncovering of which by means of a pedal produces increased sound.
Webster 1913

Swell mob

  • . See under Mob. Slang
Webster 1913

Swell shark

  • (Zoöl.), a small shark (Scyllium ventricosum) of the west coast of North America, which takes in air when caught, and swells up like a swellfish.
Webster 1913

swell up

  • verb expand abnormally
    swell; intumesce; tumefy; tumesce.
    • The bellies of the starving children are swelling
WordNet

swelled head

  • noun an exaggerated opinion of your own importance
    self-importance; egotism.
WordNet

swollen-headed

  • adjective satellite characteristic of false pride; having an exaggerated sense of self-importance
    egotistic; swollen; conceited; self-conceited; vain; egotistical.
    • a conceited fool
    • an attitude of self-conceited arrogance
    • an egotistical disregard of others
    • so swollen by victory that he was unfit for normal duty
    • growing ever more swollen-headed and arbitrary
    • vain about her clothes
WordNet

White swelling

  • (Med.), a chronic swelling of the knee, produced by a strumous inflammation of the synovial membranes of the kneejoint and of the cancellar texture of the end of the bone forming the kneejoint; applied also to a lingering chronic swelling of almost any kind.
Webster 1913