swarm

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A large group of insects, especially bees, flying close together.

   A swarm of bees settled in the old apple tree.

2. 2
   noun

   A large, moving crowd of people, animals, or things.

   A swarm of reporters waited outside the courtroom.

3. 3
   verb

   To move somewhere in a large crowd.

   Fans swarmed onto the field after the final whistle.

4. 4
   verb

   To be full of moving people, animals, or insects.

   The garden was swarming with bees.

From Middle English swarm, from Old English swearm (“swarm, multitude”), from Proto-West Germanic *swarm, from Proto-Germanic *swarmaz (“swarm, dizziness”), from Proto-Indo-European *swer- (“to buzz, hum”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian Swoorm (“swarm”), Dutch zwerm, German Schwarm, Danish sværm, Swedish svärm, Icelandic svarmur (“tumult, swarm”), Latin susurrus (“whispering, humming”), Lithuanian surma (“a pipe”), Russian свире́ль (svirélʹ, “a pipe, reed”). The verb is from Middle English swarmen, swermen, from Old English swirman (“to swarm”), from Proto-West Germanic *swarmijan, from Proto…

Topics