SWAN

Pronunciation (US):

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does swan mean? 

• SWAN (noun)
  The noun SWAN has 1 sense:

1. stately heavy-bodied aquatic bird with very long neck and usually white plumage as adult

  Familiarity information: SWAN used as a noun is very rare.

• SWAN (verb)
  The verb SWAN has 3 senses:

1. to declare or affirm solemnly and formally as true

2. move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment

3. sweep majestically

  Familiarity information: SWAN used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SWAN (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Stately heavy-bodied aquatic bird with very long neck and usually white plumage as adult

Classified under:

Nouns denoting animals

Hypernyms ("swan" is a kind of...):

aquatic bird (wading and swimming and diving birds of either fresh or salt water)

Meronyms (parts of "swan"):

swan's down (down of the swan)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "swan"):

coscoroba (large white South American bird intermediate in some respects between ducks and swans)

black swan; Cygnus atratus (large Australian swan having black plumage and a red bill)

Cygnus buccinator; trumpeter; trumpeter swan (large pure white wild swan of western North America having a sonorous cry)

Cygnus columbianus; tundra swan (swan that nests in tundra regions of the New and Old Worlds)

Cygnus cygnus; whooper; whooper swan (common Old World swan noted for its whooping call)

Cygnus olor; mute swan (soundless Eurasian swan; commonly domesticated)

cygnet (a young swan)

pen (female swan)

cob (adult male swan)

Holonyms ("swan" is a member of...):

Anatidae; family Anatidae (swimming birds having heavy short-legged bodies and bills with a horny tip: swans; geese; ducks)

• SWAN (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they swan    ... he / she / it swans   
Past simple: swanned   
Past participle: swanned   
-ing form: swanning   

Sense 1

Meaning:

To declare or affirm solemnly and formally as true

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

affirm; assert; aver; avow; swan; swear; verify

Context example:

Before God I swear I am innocent

Hypernyms (to "swan" is one way to...):

declare (state emphatically and authoritatively)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "swan"):

hold (assert or affirm)

claim; take (lay claim to; as of an idea)

attest (authenticate, affirm to be true, genuine, or correct, as in an official capacity)

declare (state firmly)

protest (affirm or avow formally or solemnly)

assure; tell (inform positively and with certainty and confidence)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s that CLAUSE

Sentence example:

They swan that there was a traffic accident

Sense 2

Meaning:

Move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

cast; drift; ramble; range; roam; roll; rove; stray; swan; tramp; vagabond; wander

Context example:

They rolled from town to town

Hypernyms (to "swan" is one way to...):

go; locomote; move; travel (change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically)

Verb group:

drift; err; stray (wander from a direct course or at random)

wander (go via an indirect route or at no set pace)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "swan"):

maunder (wander aimlessly)

gad; gallivant; jazz around (wander aimlessly in search of pleasure)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Something is ----ing PP
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s PP

Sense 3

Meaning:

Sweep majestically

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Context example:

Airplanes were swanning over the mountains

Hypernyms (to "swan" is one way to...):

sail; sweep (move with sweeping, effortless, gliding motions)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s
Something is ----ing PP
Somebody ----s PP

 Context examples 

It was frozen over, but a single hole was left for the convenience of a solitary swan.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

One of the brightest and most massive star-forming regions in our galaxy, the Omega, or Swan, Nebula, came to resemble the shape resembling a swan's neck we see today only relatively recently.

(SOFIA Reveals How the Swan Nebula Hatched, NASA)

Mrs. March laughed, and smoothed down her maternal pride as she asked, "Well, my swan, what is your plan?"

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

This linnet, as near as I can remember, seemed to be somewhat larger than an English swan.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

Further out still lay a great merchant-ship, high ended, deep waisted, painted of a canary yellow, and towering above the fishing-boats like a swan among ducklings.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Once upon a yellow sandbank I saw a creature like a huge swan, with a clumsy body and a high, flexible neck, shuffling about upon the margin.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

It's my swan song.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

Some men are born to good luck: all they do or try to do comes right—all that falls to them is so much gain—all their geese are swans—all their cards are trumps—toss them which way you will, they will always, like poor puss, alight upon their legs, and only move on so much the faster.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

He was very cleanly dressed, in a blue coat, striped waistcoat, and nankeen trousers; and his fine frilled shirt and cambric neckcloth looked unusually soft and white, reminding my strolling fancy (I call to mind) of the plumage on the breast of a swan.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

The ugly duckling turned out a swan, you know. and Amy smiled without bitterness, for she possessed a happy temper and hopeful spirit.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)