swab
swab
UK[swɒb]US[swɑːb]
n
A small piece of soft material used for cleaning a wound, applying medicine, or collecting a sample of a substance from the body.
n
An act of cleaning or drying something with a swab.
v
To clean or dry something using a swab.
Etymology
The word 'swab' entered English in the mid-17th century from the Dutch word 'zwabber', meaning 'a mop or swab'. This Dutch term is related to the verb 'zwabberen', 'to swab', which is likely of imitative or expressive origin, perhaps mimicking the sound or motion of wet cleaning. The term was adopted into maritime English for a mop used on ship decks, a sense which naturally extended to medical and cleaning contexts for smaller, similar tools. Its journey from a Dutch nautical term to a common medical and household item illustrates how specific tools lend their names to broader applications.
Analysis
This word is considered a simplex form in modern English. It is a loanword where the entire unit functions as the base.
Examples
The nurse used a sterile cotton swab to apply antiseptic to the cut.
He grabbed a swab to clean up the spill on the counter.
All passengers were required to take a throat swab test before boarding.