swan

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A large water bird with a long neck and usually white feathers.

   A pair of white swans glided across the calm lake.

2. 2
   verb

   To move around in a relaxed, lazy way, as if you have no worries.

   He swans around the office in expensive clothes while everyone else works hard.

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *swenh₂-der. Proto-Indo-European *swónh₂-osder. Proto-Germanic *swanaz Proto-West Germanic *swan Old English swan Middle English swan English swan From Middle English swan, from Old English swan, from Proto-West Germanic *swan, from Proto-Germanic *swanaz (“swan”, literally “the singing bird”), from Proto-Indo-European *swonh₂-/*swenh₂- (“to sing, make sound”). Cognate with West Frisian swan, Low German Swaan, swan, Dutch zwaan, German Schwan, Danish svane, Norwegian svane, Swedish svan. Related also to Old English ġeswin (“melody, song”), Old English swinsia…

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