swap

C1 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /swɑp/ See IPA manual

Freq #7419

Meanings

1

verb
To give one thing and receive another in exchange.

Can I swap my seat with yours?
2

noun
An exchange of one thing for another.

We made a fair swap: my book for her pen.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to give one thing and... exchange switch trade

2 noun · an exchange of one thing... trade exchange

More knock speed tap zoom

Word family

Forms swappedswappingswaps

Derived forms cumswapface-swapk-swapls-swapswapbodyswapletswappinessswapsiestesla-swap

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

swap file
a file used as disk-based storage for virtual memory

Noun + noun

Proverbs (1)

See all

Don't change horses in midstream
Matching variant: Don't swap horses in the middle of a stream

Simplified etymology

Swap originally meant “to throw forcibly” in Middle English and was probably imitative of a resounding blow. Its current senses developed from an early use meaning “to strike hands as a token of agreement.”

Etymology

From Middle English swappen (“to swap”), originally meaning "to hurl" or "to strike", the word alludes to striking hands together when making an exchange; probably from Old English *swappian, a secondary form of Old English swāpan (“to swoop”). Cognate with German schwappen (“to slosh, slop”). Compare also Middle English swippen (“to strike, hit”), from Old English swipian (“to scourge, strike, beat, lash”), Old Norse svipa (“to swoop, flash, whip, look after, look around”). More at swipe.

swappen Middle English *swappian Old English swāpan Old English

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Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# swap

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** verb, noun
**IPA (US):** /swɑp/
**Frequency rank:** 7419

## Meanings
1. To give one thing and receive another in exchange.
2. An exchange of one thing for another.

## Examples
- Can I swap my seat with yours?
- We made a fair swap: my book for her pen.

## Synonyms
- knock
- speed
- switch
- tap
- zoom

## Derived Forms
- cumswap
- face-swap
- k-swap
- ls-swap
- swapbody
- swaplet
- swappiness
- swapsies
- tesla-swap

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: swappen
- Root: *swappian
- Root: swāpan

## Etymology
From Middle English swappen (“to swap”), originally meaning "to hurl" or "to strike", the word alludes to striking hands together when making an exchange; probably from Old English *swappian, a secondary form of Old English swāpan (“to swoop”). Cognate with German schwappen (“to slosh, slop”). Compare also Middle English swippen (“to strike, hit”), from Old English swipian (“to scourge, strike, beat, lash”), Old Norse svipa (“to swoop, flash, whip, look after, look around”). More at swipe.

## AI Etymology
Swap is from Middle English swappen (“to swap”), originally meaning "to hurl" or "to strike", the word alludes to striking hands together when making an exchange; probably from Old English *swappian, a secondary form of Old English swāpan (“to swoop”). Cognate with German schwappen (“to slosh, slop”). Compare also Middle English swippen (“to strike, hit”), from Old English swipian (“to scourge, strike, beat, lash”), Old Norse svipa (“to swoop, flash, whip, look after, look around”). More at swipe. In present-day use, it can mean to give one thing and receive another in exchange, or an exchange of one thing for another. Derived formations include cumswap, face-swap, k-swap, ls-swap, swapbody.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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