sweam

English

Alternative forms

  • sweem, swaim, swame

Etymology

From Middle English sweem, sweme, swem (a dizziness), from Old Norse sveimr (a bustle, stir), from Proto-Germanic *swaimaz (a moving to and fro, a sway), from Proto-Indo-European *swey- (to twist, swing). Cognate with Old Norse svími (dizziness, fainting) (Danish svime (a swoon)), Dutch zwijm (a swoon, fainting fit), Old English swīma (vertigo, dizziness, a swoon). More at swim.

Noun

sweam (plural sweams)

  1. (dialectal) A swimming of the head; a fainting fit; a swoon.
  2. (dialectal) A sudden qualm of sickness.

Anagrams

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