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Swarm vs Bombard - What's the difference?

swarm | bombard |

As nouns the difference between swarm and bombard

is that swarm is a large number of insects, especially when in motion or (for bees) migrating to a new colony while bombard is a medieval primitive cannon, used chiefly in sieges for throwing heavy stone balls.

As verbs the difference between swarm and bombard

is that swarm is (lb) to move as a swarm while bombard is to attack something with bombs, artillery shells or other missiles or projectiles.

swarm

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • A large number of insects, especially when in motion or (for bees) migrating to a new colony.
  • * Milton
  • a deadly swarm of hornets
  • A mass of people, animals or things in motion or turmoil.
  • a swarm of meteorites
  • * Addison
  • those prodigious swarms that had settled themselves in every part of it [Italy]
  • (label) A group of nodes sharing the same torrent in a BitTorrent network.
  • Verb

    (en verb)
  • (lb) To move as a swarm .
  • *
  • *:There is an hour or two, after the passengers have embarked, which is disquieting and fussy. Mail bags, so I understand, are being put on board. Stewards, carrying cabin trunks, swarm in the corridors.
  • (lb) To teem, or be overrun with insects, people, etc.
  • *(Edmund Spenser) (c.1552–1599)
  • *:Every place swarms with soldiers.
  • (lb) To fill a place as a swarm .
  • (lb) To overwhelm as by an opposing army.
  • To climb by gripping with arms and legs alternately.
  • * (1748–1828)
  • *:At the top was placed a piece of money, as a prize for those who could swarm up and seize it.
  • *1919 , , (The Moon and Sixpence) ,
  • *:She called out, and a boy came running along. He swarmed up a tree, and presently threw down a ripe nut. Ata pierced a hole in it, and the doctor took a long, refreshing draught.
  • To breed multitudes.
  • *(John Milton) (1608-1674)
  • *:Not so thick swarmed once the soil / Bedropped with blood of Gorgon.
  • See also

    *

    Anagrams

    * (l) English collective nouns

    bombard

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • a medieval primitive cannon, used chiefly in sieges for throwing heavy stone balls.
  • * Knolles
  • They planted in divers places twelve great bombards , wherewith they threw huge stones into the air, which, falling down into the city, might break down the houses.
  • (obsolete) a bassoon-like medieval instrument
  • (obsolete) a large liquor container made of leather, in the form of a jug or a bottle.
  • * 1610 , , act 2 scene 2
  • yond same black cloud, yond huge one, / looks like a foul bombard that would shed his liquor.
  • (poetic, rare) A bombardment.
  • (music) A bombardon.
  • Verb

    (en verb)
  • To attack something with bombs, artillery shells or other missiles or projectiles.
  • (figuratively) To attack something or someone by directing objects at them.
  • (physics) To direct at a substance an intense stream of high-energy particles, usually sub-atomic or made of at most a few atoms.
  • Synonyms

    * bomb

    Derived terms

    * bombardier * bombardment * bombard phrase