[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/swish/)

[dictionaries](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [English](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/) / [S](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/s/) / swish

# swish

verb (swish, swishes, swished, swishing); noun (a swish, swishes)

«swish» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. To move quickly through the air with a soft hissing sound: "The horse swished its tail." [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/swish/#m1)
2. A swish is the sound or the movement itself. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/swish/#m2)
3. In basketball, a shot that goes straight through the net without touching the rim. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/swish/#m3)
4. To swish someone is to hit them with a thin stick or cane. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/swish/#m4)

### In the lessons

In stories, swish is a sound word: a cape swishes, a sword swishes through the air. In everyday life you may swish water round your mouth after brushing teeth. Phrases: swish its tail, with a swish.

### Examples

- The cow swished its tail to keep the flies away. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/swish/#x1)
- Her long skirt swished as she danced. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/swish/#x2)
- The sword went swish through the air. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/swish/#x3)
- Swish the water around your mouth and spit it out. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/swish/#x4)
- He shot the ball and it was a perfect swish. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/swish/#x5)
- The curtains swished open. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/swish/#x6)
- They pursued him with a savagery which he could not distinguish from hatred, and they swished him well whenever they got the chance. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/swish/#x7)

### Note

Regular verb: swish, swished; third person "swishes". It is an onomatopoeia: the word sounds like the noise it names, like "whoosh" and "swoosh". Good for adding sound to stories.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «swish» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/swish/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«swish» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/swish.html) on Mova free.