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Slew vs Swerve - What's the difference?

slew | swerve |

As verbs the difference between slew and swerve

is that slew is to rotate or turn something about its axis while swerve is to stray; to wander; to rove.

As a noun slew

is a large amount.

slew

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) (noun only)

Noun

(en noun)
  • (US) A large amount.
    • She has a slew of papers and notebooks strewn all over her desk.
    See also
    * onslaught

    Etymology 2

    In all senses, a mostly British spelling of slue.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • The act, or process of slaying.
  • A device used for slaying.
  • A change of position.

    • Verb

    (en verb)
  • (nautical) To rotate or turn something about its axis.
  • To veer a vehicle.
  • To insert extra ticks or skip some ticks of a clock to slowly correct its time.
  • To pivot.
  • To skid.
  • (rail transport) to move something (usually a railway line) sideways
    • The single line was slewed onto the disused up formation to make way for the future redoubling
  • (transitive, British, slang) To make a public mockery of someone through insult or wit.

    • Etymology 3

    Verb

    (head)
  • (slay)

    • See also

    * slain

    Anagrams

    *

    swerve

    English

    Verb

    (swerv)
  • To stray; to wander; to rove.
  • * Sir Philip Sidney
    • A maid thitherward did run, / To catch her sparrow which from her did swerve .
  • To go out of a straight line; to deflect.
  • * Sir Philip Sidney
    • The point [of the sword] swerved .
  • To wander from any line prescribed, or from a rule or duty; to depart from what is established by law, duty, custom, or the like; to deviate.
  • * Book of Common Prayer
    • I swerve not from thy commandments.
  • * Clarendon
    • They swerve from the strict letter of the law.
  • * Atterbury
    • many who, through the contagion of evil example, swerve exceedingly from the rules of their holy religion
  • To bend; to incline.
  • * Milton
    • The battle swerved .
  • To climb or move upward by winding or turning.
  • * Dryden
    • The tree was high; / Yet nimbly up from bough to bough I swerved .
  • To turn aside or deviate to avoid impact.
  • of a projectile, to travel in a curved line
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2011 , date=January 8 , author=Chris Bevan , title=Arsenal 1 - 1 Leeds , work=BBC citation , page= , passage=Snodgrass also saw a free-kick swerve just wide before Arsenal, with Walcott and Fabregas by now off the bench, turned their vastly superior possession into chances in the closing moments}}

    Related terms

    * swarf