swish

[swish] /swɪʃ/
verb (used without object)
1.
to move with or make a sibilant sound, as a slender rod cutting sharply through the air or as small waves washing on the shore.
2.
to rustle, as silk.
3.
to move or behave in an exaggeratedly effeminate manner.
verb (used with object)
4.
to flourish, whisk, etc., with a swishing movement or sound:
to swish a cane.
5.
to bring, take, cut, etc., with such a movement or sound:
to swish off the tops of plants with a cane.
6.
to flog or whip.
noun
7.
a swishing movement or sound.
8.
a stock or rod for flogging or a stroke with this.
9.
Slang: Extremely Disparaging and Offensive. a contemptuous term used to refer to an effeminate male homosexual.
adjective
10.
Slang. swishy (def 2).
11.
Chiefly British Informal. stylishly elegant; fashionable.
Origin
1750-60; imitative
Related forms
swisher, noun
swishingly, adverb
Examples from the web for swish
  • It was a cold, damp night but without the swish of breeze or patter of rain.
  • So they spend vast amounts of time stuffing and lubricating clients in private booths in swish restaurants.
  • The whistle and swish of bullets is bad: it usually means incoming and close by.
  • On occasion he would swish his mop around, stand back ten feet, and let fly.
  • Follow that treatment with a swish in hot water to which a bit of dish detergent has been added.
  • swish your hand rapidly side-to-side and you will feel that resistance on your hand.
  • Step on a dog sled and be carried away by the exuberance of a team in harness and the soft swish of sled runners on snow.
  • swish the sanitizing solution in the bottle so that it touches all surfaces.
  • Then, as they get ready to calve they will swish their tails and try to go off by themselves.
British Dictionary definitions for swish

swish

/swɪʃ/
verb
1.
to move with or make or cause to move with or make a whistling or hissing sound
2.
(intransitive) (esp of fabrics) to rustle
3.
(transitive) (slang, rare) to whip; flog
4.
(transitive) foll by off. to cut with a swishing blow
noun
5.
a hissing or rustling sound or movement
6.
a rod for flogging or a blow from such a rod
7.
(US, slang) an effeminate male homosexual
8.
a W African building material composed of mortar and mud or laterite, or more recently of cement and earth
adjective
9.
(informal, mainly Brit) fashionable; smart
10.
(US, slang) effeminate and homosexual
Derived Forms
swisher, noun
swishing, adjective
swishingly, adverb
Word Origin
C18: of imitative origin
Word Origin and History for swish
v.

1756, probably imitative of the sound made by something brushing against or through something. Related: Swished; swishing.

n.

1820, from swish (v.); sense of "effeminate homosexual" is 1930s in homosexual slang, probably from notion of mincing motion.

Slang definitions & phrases for swish

swish 1

adjective

Showing the traits of an effeminate male homosexual; mincing; limp-wristed, nellie: His walk was quite swish (1930s+ Homosexuals)

noun
  1. An effeminate male homosexual; queen: that fat swish
  2. Elaborate decoration: place needs more swish
verb

To move, walk, speak, etc, in the manner or presumed manner of effeminate male homosexuals (fr homosexuals)

[perhaps fr the swinging movements of the hips in a mincing walk; perhaps fr swish2]


swish 2

adjective

Elegant; fancy; posh, ritzy, swank: You can get a very swish version or a very asi version

[1879+;frBritishdialect,anapparentvariantofswash, ''a swaggerer,'' hence semantically related to swank]