Definitions for swell
swɛlswell

Princeton's WordNet(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. swell, crestless wave(noun)

   the undulating movement of the surface of the open sea

2. swell(noun)

   a rounded elevation (especially one on an ocean floor)

3. swell(noun)

   a crescendo followed by a decrescendo

4. dandy, dude, fop, gallant, sheik, beau, swell, fashion plate, clotheshorse(adj)

   a man who is much concerned with his dress and appearance

5. bang-up, bully, corking, cracking, dandy, great, groovy, keen, neat, nifty, not bad(p), peachy, slap-up, swell, smashing(verb)

   very good

   "he did a bully job"; "a neat sports car"; "had a great time at the party"; "you look simply smashing"

6. swell(verb)

   increase in size, magnitude, number, or intensity

   "The music swelled to a crescendo"

7. swell, puff up(verb)

   become filled with pride, arrogance, or anger

   "The mother was swelling with importance when she spoke of her son"

8. swell, swell up, intumesce, tumefy, tumesce(verb)

   expand abnormally

   "The bellies of the starving children are swelling"

9. well up, swell(verb)

   come up (as of feelings and thoughts, or other ephemeral things)

   "Strong emotions welled up"; "Smoke swelled from it"

10. well, swell(verb)

    come up, as of a liquid

    "Tears well in her eyes"; "the currents well up"

11. swell(verb)

    cause to become swollen

    "The water swells the wood"

Wiktionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. swell(Noun)

   A long series of ocean waves, generally produced by wind, and lasting after the wind has ceased.

   Etymology: From swellen, from swellan, from swellanan, of unknown origin. Cognate with zwellen, schwellen, svälla.

2. swell(Noun)

   A gradual crescendo followed by diminuendo.

   Etymology: From swellen, from swellan, from swellanan, of unknown origin. Cognate with zwellen, schwellen, svälla.

3. swell(Noun)

   A device for controlling the volume of a pipe organ.

   Etymology: From swellen, from swellan, from swellanan, of unknown origin. Cognate with zwellen, schwellen, svälla.

4. swell(Noun)

   A division in a pipe organ, usually the largest enclosed division.

   Etymology: From swellen, from swellan, from swellanan, of unknown origin. Cognate with zwellen, schwellen, svälla.

5. swell(Noun)

   A hillock or similar raised area of terrain.

   Etymology: From swellen, from swellan, from swellanan, of unknown origin. Cognate with zwellen, schwellen, svälla.

6. swell(Noun)

   A person who is dressed in a fancy or elegant manner.

   Etymology: From swellen, from swellan, from swellanan, of unknown origin. Cognate with zwellen, schwellen, svälla.

7. swell(Noun)

   A person of high social standing; an important person.

   Etymology: From swellen, from swellan, from swellanan, of unknown origin. Cognate with zwellen, schwellen, svälla.

8. swell(Verb)

   To become bigger, especially due to being engorged.

   Etymology: From swellen, from swellan, from swellanan, of unknown origin. Cognate with zwellen, schwellen, svälla.

9. swell(Verb)

   To cause to become bigger.

   Etymology: From swellen, from swellan, from swellanan, of unknown origin. Cognate with zwellen, schwellen, svälla.

10. swell(Adjective)

    Excellent.

    Etymology: From swellen, from swellan, from swellanan, of unknown origin. Cognate with zwellen, schwellen, svälla.

Webster Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Swell(verb)

   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

   Etymology: [AS. swellan; akin to D. zwellen, OS. & OHG. swellan, G. schwellen, Icel. svella, Sw. svlla.]

2. Swell(verb)

   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

   Etymology: [AS. swellan; akin to D. zwellen, OS. & OHG. swellan, G. schwellen, Icel. svella, Sw. svlla.]

3. Swell(verb)

   to rise or be driven into waves or billows; to heave; as, in tempest, the ocean swells into waves

   Etymology: [AS. swellan; akin to D. zwellen, OS. & OHG. swellan, G. schwellen, Icel. svella, Sw. svlla.]

4. Swell(verb)

   to be puffed up or bloated; as, to swell with pride

   Etymology: [AS. swellan; akin to D. zwellen, OS. & OHG. swellan, G. schwellen, Icel. svella, Sw. svlla.]

5. Swell(verb)

   to be inflated; to belly; as, the sails swell

   Etymology: [AS. swellan; akin to D. zwellen, OS. & OHG. swellan, G. schwellen, Icel. svella, Sw. svlla.]

6. Swell(verb)

   to be turgid, bombastic, or extravagant; as, swelling words; a swelling style

   Etymology: [AS. swellan; akin to D. zwellen, OS. & OHG. swellan, G. schwellen, Icel. svella, Sw. svlla.]

7. Swell(verb)

   to protuberate; to bulge out; as, a cask swells in the middle

   Etymology: [AS. swellan; akin to D. zwellen, OS. & OHG. swellan, G. schwellen, Icel. svella, Sw. svlla.]

8. Swell(verb)

   to be elated; to rise arrogantly

   Etymology: [AS. swellan; akin to D. zwellen, OS. & OHG. swellan, G. schwellen, Icel. svella, Sw. svlla.]

9. Swell(verb)

   to grow upon the view; to become larger; to expand

   Etymology: [AS. swellan; akin to D. zwellen, OS. & OHG. swellan, G. schwellen, Icel. svella, Sw. svlla.]

10. Swell(verb)

    to become larger in amount; as, many little debts added, swell to a great amount

    Etymology: [AS. swellan; akin to D. zwellen, OS. & OHG. swellan, G. schwellen, Icel. svella, Sw. svlla.]

11. Swell(verb)

    to act in a pompous, ostentatious, or arrogant manner; to strut; to look big

    Etymology: [AS. swellan; akin to D. zwellen, OS. & OHG. swellan, G. schwellen, Icel. svella, Sw. svlla.]

12. Swell(verb)

    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

    Etymology: [AS. swellan; akin to D. zwellen, OS. & OHG. swellan, G. schwellen, Icel. svella, Sw. svlla.]

13. Swell(verb)

    to aggravate; to heighten

    Etymology: [AS. swellan; akin to D. zwellen, OS. & OHG. swellan, G. schwellen, Icel. svella, Sw. svlla.]

14. Swell(verb)

    to raise to arrogance; to puff up; to inflate; as, to be swelled with pride or haughtiness

    Etymology: [AS. swellan; akin to D. zwellen, OS. & OHG. swellan, G. schwellen, Icel. svella, Sw. svlla.]

15. Swell(verb)

    to augment gradually in force or loudness, as the sound of a note

    Etymology: [AS. swellan; akin to D. zwellen, OS. & OHG. swellan, G. schwellen, Icel. svella, Sw. svlla.]

16. Swell(noun)

    the act of swelling

    Etymology: [AS. swellan; akin to D. zwellen, OS. & OHG. swellan, G. schwellen, Icel. svella, Sw. svlla.]

17. Swell(noun)

    gradual increase

    Etymology: [AS. swellan; akin to D. zwellen, OS. & OHG. swellan, G. schwellen, Icel. svella, Sw. svlla.]

18. Swell(noun)

    increase or augmentation in bulk; protuberance

    Etymology: [AS. swellan; akin to D. zwellen, OS. & OHG. swellan, G. schwellen, Icel. svella, Sw. svlla.]

19. Swell(noun)

    increase in height; elevation; rise

    Etymology: [AS. swellan; akin to D. zwellen, OS. & OHG. swellan, G. schwellen, Icel. svella, Sw. svlla.]

20. Swell(noun)

    increase of force, intensity, or volume of sound

    Etymology: [AS. swellan; akin to D. zwellen, OS. & OHG. swellan, G. schwellen, Icel. svella, Sw. svlla.]

21. Swell(noun)

    increase of power in style, or of rhetorical force

    Etymology: [AS. swellan; akin to D. zwellen, OS. & OHG. swellan, G. schwellen, Icel. svella, Sw. svlla.]

22. Swell(noun)

    a gradual ascent, or rounded elevation, of land; as, an extensive plain abounding with little swells

    Etymology: [AS. swellan; akin to D. zwellen, OS. & OHG. swellan, G. schwellen, Icel. svella, Sw. svlla.]

23. Swell(noun)

    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

    Etymology: [AS. swellan; akin to D. zwellen, OS. & OHG. swellan, G. schwellen, Icel. svella, Sw. svlla.]

24. Swell(noun)

    a gradual increase and decrease of the volume of sound; the crescendo and diminuendo combined; -- generally indicated by the sign

    Etymology: [AS. swellan; akin to D. zwellen, OS. & OHG. swellan, G. schwellen, Icel. svella, Sw. svlla.]

25. Swell(noun)

    a showy, dashing person; a dandy

    Etymology: [AS. swellan; akin to D. zwellen, OS. & OHG. swellan, G. schwellen, Icel. svella, Sw. svlla.]

26. Swell(adj)

    having the characteristics of a person of rank and importance; showy; dandified; distinguished; as, a swell person; a swell neighborhood

    Etymology: [AS. swellan; akin to D. zwellen, OS. & OHG. swellan, G. schwellen, Icel. svella, Sw. svlla.]

Freebase(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Swell

   Swell is an indie rock band formed in San Francisco in 1989 when David Freel and Sean Kirkpatrick decided to record an album.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Swell

   swel, v.i. to grow larger: to expand: to rise into waves: to heave: to be inflated: to bulge out: to grow louder: to be bombastic, to strut: to become elated, arrogant, or angry: to grow upon the view: to grow more violent: to grow louder, as a note.—v.t. to increase the size of: to aggravate: to increase the sound of: to raise to arrogance: to augment the sound of:—pa.p. swelled or swollen (swōln).—n. act of swelling: a bulge or protuberance: increase in size: an increase and a succeeding decrease in the volume of a tone: a gradual rise of ground: a wave or billow or succession of them in one direction, as after a storm: a distinct set of pipes in an organ, enclosed in a case furnished with movable shutters which being more or less opened by means of a pedal, produce a swell of sound: (geol.) an upward protrusion of strata from whose central region the beds dip quaquaversally at a low angle: a strutting foppish fellow, a dandy.—adj. fashionable.—n. Swell′dom, the fashionable world generally.—adj. Swell′ing (B.), inflated, proud, haughty.—n. protuberance: a tumour: a rising, as of passion: (B.) inflation by pride.—adj. Swell′ish, foppish, dandified.—ns. Swell′-mob, well-dressed pickpockets collectively; Swell′-mobs′man, a well-dressed pickpocket. [A.S. swellan; Ger. schwellen.]

Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

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.

Dictionary of Nautical Terms(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. swell

   A rolling wave which seldom breaks unless it meets resistance, generally denoting a continuous heaving, which remains for some time after the wind which caused it has subsided. Also, the gradual thickening of the muzzle of a gun, hounds of a mast, &c.

Suggested Resources(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. swell

   Song lyrics by swell -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by swell on the Lyrics.com website.

Etymology and Origins(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Swell

   Slang for one of the upper classes, no doubt suggested by the phrase: “The bloated aristocracy.” Also applied to an overdressed person puffed out with the idea of his own importance.

British National Corpus

1. Verbs Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'swell' in Verbs Frequency: #1088

Anagrams for swell »

1. wells, Wells

2. Wells

How to pronounce swell?

1. 

   Alex

   US English

   

   Daniel

   British

   

   Karen

   Australian

   

   Veena

   Indian

How to say swell in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of swell in Chaldean Numerology is: 2

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of swell in Pythagorean Numerology is: 8

Examples of swell in a Sentence

1. William Shakespeare:

   Their understanding Begins to swell and the approaching tide Will shortly fill the reasonable shores That now lie foul and muddy.

2. Charles de LEUSSE:

   Pilate listened to the crowd. What sailor listens to the swell ? (Pilate écouta la foule. - Quel marin écoute la houle ?)

3. Nabil Majeed:

   I miss going outside in the sun. Now the sun makes my eye swell, and I always feel like something is in front of my eye.

4. Manousos Doukakis:

   The (measures) won't roll, tax evasion will swell.

5. Chris Daley:

   He started vomiting, his eyes were starting to swell and he couldn't speak properly.

Images & Illustrations of swell

Popularity rank by frequency of use