swarf

US /swɔrf/ UK /swɔːf/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

noun
the fine chips or filings produced by machining or grinding metal

The lathe operator swept the swarf from the workbench.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · the fine chips or filings... filingsshavingscuttings turnings chips

Etymology

From Old English geswearf ('filings, dust from filing'), related to sweorfan ('to file, grind, scour'), from Proto-Germanic *swerban ('to wipe, rub'); reinforced by Old Norse svarf ('file-dust').

geswearf Old English *swerban Proto-Germanic

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Materials & Substances

External links

# swarf

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /swɔrf/
**IPA (UK):** /swɔːf/

## Meanings
1. the fine chips or filings produced by machining or grinding metal

## Examples
- The lathe operator swept the swarf from the workbench.

## Synonyms
- filings
- shavings
- cuttings
- turnings
- chips

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: geswearf
- Root: *swerban

## Etymology
From Old English geswearf ('filings, dust from filing'), related to sweorfan ('to file, grind, scour'), from Proto-Germanic *swerban ('to wipe, rub'); reinforced by Old Norse svarf ('file-dust').

## AI Etymology
Swarf is from Old English geswearf ('filings, dust from filing'), related to sweorfan ('to file, grind, scour'), from Proto-Germanic *swerban ('to wipe, rub'); reinforced by Old Norse svarf ('file-dust'). Important recorded forms include geswearf (Old English) and *swerban (Proto-Germanic). The modern sense continues the older lexical line without requiring a separate origin. In current use it covers the fine chips or filings produced by machining or grinding metal.

## Topics
- Materials & Substances

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