swash

[swosh, swawsh] /swɒʃ, swɔʃ/
verb (used without object)
1.
to splash, as things in water, or as water does:
Waves were swashing against the piers.
2.
to dash around, as things in violent motion.
3.
to swagger.
verb (used with object)
4.
to dash or cast violently, especially to dash (water or other liquid) around, down, etc.
noun
5.
the surging or dashing, sometimes violent, of water, waves, etc.
6.
the sound made by such dashing:
the thunderous swash of the waves.
7.
the ground over which water washes.
8.
Chiefly Southeastern U.S. a channel of water through or behind a sandbank.
9.
Printing. an extending ornamental flourish, as on letters of certain fonts of italic or cursive type.
adjective
10.
Printing. noting or pertaining to a character having a swash:
a swash letter.
Origin
1520-30; imitative
Examples from the web for swash
  • The last high tide swash line marks the upper limit of the surf zone.
British Dictionary definitions for swash

swash

/swɒʃ/
verb
1.
(intransitive) (esp of water or things in water) to wash or move with noisy splashing
2.
(transitive) to dash (a liquid, esp water) against or upon
3.
(intransitive) (archaic) to swagger or bluster
noun
4.
Also called send. the dashing movement or sound of water, such as that of waves on a beach Compare backwash
5.
any other swashing movement or sound
6.
a sandbar washed by the waves
7.
Also called swash channel. a channel of moving water cutting through or running behind a sandbank
8.
(archaic)
  1. swagger or bluster
  2. a swashbuckler
Word Origin
C16: probably of imitative origin
Word Origin and History for swash
n.

1530s, "the fall of a heavy body or blow," possibly from wash with an intensifying s-. It also meant "pig-wash, filth, wet refuse" (1520s) and may have been imitative of the sound of water dashing against solid objects. The meaning "a body of splashing water" is first found 1670s; that of "a dashing or splashing" 1847.