Part 1026

It were a happy life To be no better than a homely swain.

Shak.

Blest swains! whose nymphs in every grace excel.

Pope.

Swain"ish, a. Pertaining to, or resembling, a swain; rustic; ignorant. "An ungentle and swainish beast." Milton. -- Swain"ish*ness, n. Emerson.

Swain"ling (?), n. A little swain. [R.]

Swain"mote` (?), n. [Swain + mote meeting: cf. LL. swanimotum.] (Eng. Forest Law) A court held before the verders of the forest as judges, by the steward of the court, thrice every year, the swains, or freeholders, within the forest composing the jury. [Written also swanimote, and sweinmote.] Blackstone.

Swain"ship, n. The condition of a swain.

Swaip (?), v. i. [Cf. Sweep.] To walk proudly; to sweep along. [Prov. Eng.] Todd.

Swal (?), obs. imp. of Swell. Swelled. Chaucer.

Swale (?), n. [Cf. Icel. svalr cool, svala to cool.] A valley or low place; a tract of low, and usually wet, land; a moor; a fen. [Prov. Eng. & Local, U.S.]

Swale, v. i. & t. To melt and waste away; to singe. See Sweal, v.

Swale, n. A gutter in a candle. [Prov. Eng.]

Swal"let (?), n. [Cf. G. schwall a sea swell, from schwellen to swell, E. swell.] Water breaking in upon the miners at their work; -- so called among tin miners. [Prov. Eng.]

Swal"low (?), n. [OE. swalowe, AS. swalewe, swealwe; akin to D. zwaluw, OHG. swalawa, G. schwalbe, Icel. & Sw. svala, Dan. svale.] 1. (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of passerine birds of the family Hirundinidæ, especially one of those species in which the tail is deeply forked. They have long, pointed wings, and are noted for the swiftness and gracefulness of their flight.

The most common North American species are the barn swallow (see under Barn), the cliff, or eaves, swallow (see under Cliff), the white-bellied, or tree, swallow (Tachycineta bicolor), and the bank swallow (see under Bank). The common European swallow (Chelidon rustica), and the window swallow, or martin (Chelidon urbica), are familiar species.

2. (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of swifts which resemble the true swallows in form and habits, as the common American chimney swallow, or swift.

3. (Naut.) The aperture in a block through which the rope reeves. Ham. Nav. Encyc.

Swallow plover (Zoöl.), any one of several species of fork-tailed ploverlike birds of the genus Glareola, as G. orientalis of India; a pratincole. -- Swallow shrike (Zoöl.), any one of several species of East Indian and Asiatic birds of the family Artamiidæ, allied to the shrikes but similar to swallows in appearance and habits. The ashy swallow shrike (Artamus fuscus) is common in India. -- Swallow warbler (Zoöl.), any one of numerous species of East Indian and Australian singing birds of the genus Dicæum. They are allied to the honeysuckers.

Swal"low (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Swallowed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Swallowing.] [OE. swolewen, swolwen, swolhen, AS. swelgan; akin to D. zwelgen, OHG. swelahan, swelgan, G. schwelgen to feast, to revel, Icel. svelgia to swallow, SW. svälja, Dan. svælge. Cf. Groundsel a plant.] 1. To take into the stomach; to receive through the gullet, or esophagus, into the stomach; as, to swallow food or drink.

As if I had swallowed snowballs for pills.

Shak.

2. To draw into an abyss or gulf; to ingulf; to absorb -- usually followed by up. Milton.

The earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses.

Num. xvi. 32.

3. To receive or embrace, as opinions or belief, without examination or scruple; to receive implicitly.

Though that story . . . be not so readily swallowed.

Sir T. Browne.