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Swage vs Swale - What's the difference?

swage | swale |

As nouns the difference between swage and swale

is that swage is a tool, used by blacksmiths and other metalworkers, for cold shaping of a metal item while swale is a low tract of moist or marshy land or swale can be (uk|dialect) a gutter in a candle.

As verbs the difference between swage and swale

is that swage is to bend or shape through use of a swage or swage can be while swale is (melt and waste away, or singe).

swage

English

(swaging)

Etymology 1

From (etyl) souage.

Noun

(en noun)
  • A tool, used by blacksmiths and other metalworkers, for cold shaping of a metal item.
  • * 2003 , Gene Logsdon, The Pond Lovers , University of Georgia Press (2003), ISBN 0820324698, page 45:
    • "I made a swage and hammered out the test bars to the required .615 inch plus or minus .003, the thickness of a sheet of paper.
  • * 2005 , Mike McCarthy, Ships' Fastenings: From Sewn Boat to Steamship , Texas A&M University Press (2005), ISBN 9781585444519, page 87:
    • If he were making round or square-sectioned nails, the blacksmith also kept a "swage'" near the anvil. If different sizes, shapes, and heads were required, the nailor had a a number of '''swages''' or a number of holes in the one ' swage .
  • * 2008 , Wilbur Cross, Gullah Culture in America , Praeger (2008), ISBN 9780275994501, page 73:
    • The blacksmith let me help out, hold the horse while he was putting the shoe on, turn the hand forge, clean up the shop. And after awhile he taught me names of everything. He'd say, 'Boy, hand me the three-inch swage ,' and I had to know just what he wanted. I learned that way."
    Usage notes
    A swage may be variously shaped or grooved on the end or face, but typically involves working with cold metal by forcing it into a (die).

    Verb

  • To bend or shape through use of a swage.

    • Etymology 2

    From assuage by aphesis.

    Verb

    • Anagrams

    *

    swale

    English

    Etymology 1

    , from (etyl), "shade", perhaps of Scandinavian origin; akin to (etyl) svalr

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A low tract of moist or marshy land.
  • A long narrow and shallow trough between ridges on a beach, running parallel to the coastline.
  • A shallow troughlike depression that's created to carry water during rainstorms or snow melts; a drainage ditch.
  • A shallow, usually grassy depression sloping downward from a plains upland meadow or level vegetated ridgetop.
  • *
    • Jane climbed a few more paces behind him and then peeped over the ridge. Just beyond began a shallow swale that deepened and widened into a valley, and then swung to the left.
  • A shallow trough dug into the land on contour (horizontally with no slope). Its purpose being to allow water time to percolate into the soil.

    • Etymology 2

    See sweal.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (UK, dialect) A gutter in a candle.

    • Verb

    (swal)
  • (melt and waste away, or singe)

    • Anagrams

    *