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Swear vs Slang - What's the difference?

swear | slang |

As verbs the difference between swear and slang

is that swear is to take an oath while slang is to vocally abuse, or shout at.

As nouns the difference between swear and slang

is that swear is a swearword while slang is language outside of conventional usage.

As an adjective swear

is heavy.

swear

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) sweren, swerien, from (etyl) through Proto-Indo-European.

Verb

  • To take an oath.
  • *
  • *:The Bat—they called him the Bat.. He'd never been in stir, the bulls had never mugged him, he didn't run with a mob, he played a lone hand, and fenced his stuff so that even the fence couldn't swear he knew his face.
  • (lb) To use offensive language.
    • Synonyms
    * See also
    Usage notes
    * In sense 1, this is a catenative verb that takes the to infinitive . See
    Synonyms
    * See also
    Derived terms
    * swear by * swear like a trooper * swear on a stack of Bibles * swear out * swear to God * swear word

    Etymology 2

    From the above verb, or from (etyl) sware, from (etyl) swaru, from (etyl) .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A swearword.

    • Etymology 3

    From (etyl) swer, swar, from (etyl) .

    Alternative forms

    * (l), (l), (l)

    Adjective

    (en-adj)
  • Heavy.
  • Top-heavy; too high.
  • Dull; heavy; lazy; slow; reluctant; unwilling.
  • Niggardly.
  • A lazy time; a short rest during working hours (especially field labour); a siesta.
    • Derived terms
    * (l) * (l) * (l)

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To be lazy; rest for a short while during working hours.

    • Anagrams

    * English irregular verbs English reporting verbs

    slang

    English

    (wikipedia slang)

    Etymology 1

    1756, .

    Noun

  • Language outside of conventional usage.
  • Language that is unique to a particular profession or subject; jargon.
  • The specialized language of a social group, sometimes used to make what is said unintelligible to those not members of the group; cant.
  • *
    • "Oh, there are so many superior teas and sugars now. Superior is getting to be shopkeepers' slang ."
    "Are you beginning to dislike slang , then?" said Rosamond, with mild gravity.
    "Only the wrong sort. All choice of words is slang . It marks a class."
    "There is correct English: that is not slang ."
    "I beg your pardon: correct English is the slang' of prigs who write history and essays. And the strongest '''slang''' of all is the ' slang of poets."
    Synonyms
    * (jargon) vernacular, jargon, lingo, dialect, cant

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (dated) To vocally abuse, or shout at.
  • * 1888', Also, he had to keep his temper when he was '''slanged in the theatre porch by a policeman — Rudyard Kipling, ‘Miss Youghal's ''Sais''’, ''Plain Tales from the Hills (Folio Society 2007, p. 26)
    • See also
    *

    Etymology 2

    Verb

    (head)
  • (archaic) (sling)
  • * 1836 , Edward Bagnall, Saul and David
    • Before he slang the all-deciding stone

    Etymology 3

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (UK, dialect) Any long, narrow piece of land; a promontory.
    • (Holland)

    Etymology 4

    Compare sling.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (UK, obsolete) A fetter worn on the leg by a convict.

    • External links

    * * *

    Anagrams

    * * ----