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Swan vs Swat - What's the difference?

swan | swat |

As nouns the difference between swan and swat

is that swan is any of various species of large, long-necked waterfowl, of genus Cygnus, most of which have white plumage while SWAT is a SWAT team.

As verbs the difference between swan and swat

is that swan is to travel or move about in an aimless, idle, or pretentiously casual way while swat is to beat off, as insects; to bat, strike, or hit.

As proper nouns the difference between swan and swat

is that swan is {{surname} while Swat is a valley and a district in NWFP administrative province of Pakistan.

As an acronym SWAT is

special weapons and tactics. The area of expertise of police officers trained and equipped to neutralize armed or entrenched criminals.

swan

English

(wikipedia swan)

Etymology 1

From (etyl) (m), from (etyl) .

Noun

(en-noun)
  • Any of various species of large, long-necked waterfowl, of genus Cygnus , most of which have white plumage.
  • (figuratively) One whose grace etc. suggests a swan.
    • Derived terms
    * swanling * swan species: black swan, black-necked swan, mute swan, trumpeter swan, tundra swan, whooper swan * swan boat * swan dive * swanherd * swannery * swansdown * swanskin * swan song
    See also
    * cob (adult male) * cygnet (epicene, young) * lamentation * pen (adult female)

    Verb

    (swann)
  • (British) To travel or move about in an aimless, idle, or pretentiously casual way.
  • * 2010 , Lee Rourke, The Canal , Melville House Publishing (2010), ISBN 9781935554905, unnumbered page:
    • He swans' around that stinking office in his expensive clothes that are a little too tight for comfort, he ' swans around that stinking office without a care in the world.
  • * 2013 , Tilly Bagshawe, One Summer’s Afternoon , HarperCollins (2013), ISBN 9780007472550, unnumbered page:
    • One of the few strokes of good luck Emma had had in recent days was the news that Tatiana Flint-Hamilton, her only real rival for top billing as 'most photographable girl' at today's event had decided to swan off to Sardinia instead, leaving the limelight entirely to Emma.
    Usage notes
    * In the sense "to travel", usually used as part of the phrase "to swan about" or "to swan around".

    Etymology 2

    Probably from dialectal , contraction of "I shall warrant"; later seen as a minced form of (term).

    Verb

    (swann)
  • (US, slang) To declare (chiefly in first-person present constructions).
  • * 1907 December, J. D. Archer, Foiling an eavesdropper'', in ''Telephony , volume 14, page 345:
    • "Well, I swan , man, I had a better opinion of you than that."
  • * 1940 , (Raymond Chandler), Farewell, My Lovely , Penguin 2010, page 214:
    • ‘She slammed the door so hard I figured a window'd break .’ ‘I swan ,’ I said.

    Anagrams

    * (l) * (l) * (l) * (l) ----

    swat

    English

    (wikipedia SWAT)

    Alternative forms

    *

    Acronym

    (Acronym) (head)
  • (chiefly, US, law enforcement) Special weapons and tactics. The area of expertise of police officers trained and equipped to neutralize armed or entrenched criminals.

    • Usage notes

    * Often used attributively before such nouns as (team) or (squad). * While the specific meaning of the acronym applies only to the United States, the term is informally used in other countries to describe similar police teams.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (chiefly, US, law enforcement) a SWAT team
    • "This situation is out of control. We need a SWAT team," the policeman said.

    Anagrams

    *