Definitions of swell [ɛl]

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Definition of 'swell'

Random House Webster's College Dictionary

1. (v.i.) swell
to enlarge in bulk, as by growth, absorption of fluid, or engorgement.

2.  swell
(of a body part or area) to enlarge abnormally without growth of tissue.

3.  swell
to rise in waves, as the sea.

4.  swell
to well up, as a spring or as tears.

5.  swell
to bulge out, as a sail.

6.  swell
to grow in amount, degree, force, etc.

7.  swell
to increase gradually in volume or intensity, as sound.

8.  swell
to arise and grow within one, as a feeling or emotion.

9.  swell
to become puffed up with pride.

10. (v.t.) swell
to cause to grow in bulk.

11.  swell
to cause to increase gradually in loudness:
to swell a musical tone.

12.  swell
to cause to bulge out or be protuberant.

13.  swell
to increase in amount, degree, force, etc.

14.  swell
to affect with a strong, expansive emotion.

15.  swell
to puff up with pride.

16. (n.) swell
the act of swelling or the condition of being swollen.

17.  swell
inflation or distention.

18.  swell
a protuberant part.

19.  swell
a wave, esp. when long and unbroken, or a series of such waves.

20.  swell
a gradually rising elevation of the land.

21.  swell
an increase in amount, degree, force, etc.

22.  swell
a gradual increase in loudness of sound.

23.  swell
a gradual increase and then decrease in musical volume.

24.  swell
the sign (<&whence;) for indicating this.

25.  swell
a device, as in an organ, by which the loudness of tones may be varied.

26.  swell
a swelling of emotion within one.

27.  swell
Informal.

28.  swell
a fashionably dressed person; dandy.

29.  swell
a socially prominent person.

30. (adj. Informal.) swell
(of things) stylish; elegant.

31.  swell
(of persons) fashionably dressed or socially prominent.

32.  swell
first-rate; fine.

Etymology: (bef. 900; ME (v.), OE swellan, c. OFris swella, OS, OHG

Definition of 'swell'

Princeton's WordNet

1. (noun) swell, crestless wave
the undulating movement of the surface of the open sea

2. (noun) swell
a rounded elevation (especially one on an ocean floor)

3. (noun) swell
a crescendo followed by a decrescendo

4. (adj) dandy, dude, fop, gallant, sheik, beau, swell, fashion plate, clotheshorse
a man who is much concerned with his dress and appearance

5. (verb) bang-up, bully, corking, cracking, dandy, great, groovy, keen, neat, nifty, not bad(p), peachy, slap-up, swell, smashing
very good
"he did a bully job"; "a neat sports car"; "had a great time at the party"; "you look simply smashing"

6. (verb) swell
increase in size, magnitude, number, or intensity
"The music swelled to a crescendo"

7. (verb) swell, puff up
become filled with pride, arrogance, or anger
"The mother was swelling with importance when she spoke of her son"

8. (verb) swell, swell up, intumesce, tumefy, tumesce
expand abnormally
"The bellies of the starving children are swelling"

9. (verb) well up, swell
come up (as of feelings and thoughts, or other ephemeral things)
"Strong emotions welled up"; "Smoke swelled from it"

10. (verb) well, swell
come up, as of a liquid
"Tears well in her eyes"; "the currents well up"

11. (verb) swell
cause to become swollen
"The water swells the wood"

Definition of 'swell'

Kernerman English Learner’s Dictionary

1. (verb) swell
(of part of the body) to become larger and filled with fluid
His arm was swelling from the animal's bite.

2.  swell
to become larger or curve outward
as the balloon swelled; The wind was swelling the sails.

3.  swell
(of a sound) to become louder
as the music swelled at the end

4.  swell
to increase in number
The deficit has swelled to 300 billion dollars.

Definition of 'swell'

Webster Dictionary

1. (adj) swell
having the characteristics of a person of rank and importance; showy; dandified; distinguished; as, a swell person; a swell neighborhood

2. (noun) swell
the act of swelling

3. (noun) swell
gradual increase

4. (noun) swell
increase or augmentation in bulk; protuberance

5. (noun) swell
increase in height; elevation; rise

6. (noun) swell
increase of force, intensity, or volume of sound

7. (noun) swell
increase of power in style, or of rhetorical force

8. (noun) swell
a gradual ascent, or rounded elevation, of land; as, an extensive plain abounding with little swells

9. (noun) swell
a wave, or billow; especially, a succession of large waves; the roll of the sea after a storm; as, a heavy swell sets into the harbor

10. (noun) swell
a gradual increase and decrease of the volume of sound; the crescendo and diminuendo combined; -- generally indicated by the sign

11. (noun) swell
a showy, dashing person; a dandy

12. (verb) swell
to grow larger; to dilate or extend the exterior surface or dimensions, by matter added within, or by expansion of the inclosed substance; as, the legs swell in dropsy; a bruised part swells; a bladder swells by inflation

13. (verb) swell
to increase in size or extent by any addition; to increase in volume or force; as, a river swells, and overflows its banks; sounds swell or diminish

14. (verb) swell
to rise or be driven into waves or billows; to heave; as, in tempest, the ocean swells into waves

15. (verb) swell
to be puffed up or bloated; as, to swell with pride

16. (verb) swell
to be inflated; to belly; as, the sails swell

17. (verb) swell
to be turgid, bombastic, or extravagant; as, swelling words; a swelling style

18. (verb) swell
to protuberate; to bulge out; as, a cask swells in the middle

19. (verb) swell
to be elated; to rise arrogantly

20. (verb) swell
to grow upon the view; to become larger; to expand

21. (verb) swell
to become larger in amount; as, many little debts added, swell to a great amount

22. (verb) swell
to act in a pompous, ostentatious, or arrogant manner; to strut; to look big

23. (verb) swell
to increase the size, bulk, or dimensions of; to cause to rise, dilate, or increase; as, rains and dissolving snow swell the rivers in spring; immigration swells the population

24. (verb) swell
to aggravate; to heighten

25. (verb) swell
to raise to arrogance; to puff up; to inflate; as, to be swelled with pride or haughtiness

26. (verb) swell
to augment gradually in force or loudness, as the sound of a note

Definition of 'swell'

Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms

1. swell
Ocean waves that have traveled out of their fetch. Swell characteristically exhibits a more regular and longer period and has flatter crests than waves within their fetch.

Translation of 'swell'

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary

Sense: to make or become larger, greater or thicker The insect-bite made her finger swell; The continual rain had swollen the river; I invited her to join us on the excursion in order to swell the numbers.
Afrikaans: vermeerder, opswel, versw	Arabic: يَنْتَفِخ، يَوْرَم، يَكْب	Bulgarian: увеличавам (се)
Brazilian: inchar(-se)	Czech: otékat; rozvodnit, zvětši	German: (an)schwellen (lassen)
Danish: svulme;øge	Greek: πρήζω, (παρα)φουσκώνω	Spanish: hinchar(se), inflar(se)
Estonian: paistetama, paisuma, pais	Farsi: ورم كردن	Finnish: turvota
French: enfler, gonfler	Hebrew: לְהִתנַפֵּח	Hindi: सूजना, फूलना, उठना, उमड़
Croatian: oticati, uvećati	Hungarian: (meg)duzzaszt; (meg)dagad	Indonesian: membengkak
Icelandic: bólgna, þrútna	Italian: gonfiare, gonfiarsi; aume	Japanese: ふくれる
Korean: 부풀다, 팽창하다	Lithuanian: tinti, patvinti, padidint	Latvian: pietūkt; palielināt; pali
Malay: membengkak; menambah	Dutch: zwellen	Norwegian: svulme (opp); (for)øke, v
Polish: puchnąć, podnieść (poziom	Persian: ورم كردن	Pashto: پړسوب کول
Portuguese: dilatar(-se)	Romanian: a umfla	Russian: опухать; вздувать(ся);уве
Slovak: opuchnúť; rozvodniť; posi	Slovenian: narasti, oteči	Serbian: povećati
Swedish: [få att] svälla (svullna)	Thai: ทำให้บวม	Turkish: şiş(ir)mek, art(tır)mak;
Taiwanese: 腫脹，增大	Ukrainian: надимати(ся); роздуватися	Urdu: پھول جانا یا ورم آنا
Vietnamese: phồng lên, to lên, căng r	Chinese: 肿胀，增大
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