swipe
verb · noun
Simple meaning
To scan or register by sliding through a reader.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
swypIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈswaɪp
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
verb
transitive
To scan or register by sliding (a swipecard etc.) through a reader.
Strike with a swiping motion
transitive
To strike with a strong blow in a sweeping motion.
intransitive
To grab or bat quickly.
(transitive, intransitive, computing, graphical user interface) To interact with a touch screen by drawing one's finger rapidly across it.
transitiveinformal
To steal or snatch.
noun
countable
A quick grab, bat, or other motion with the hand or paw; a sweep.
countable
An act of passing a swipecard through a card reader.
A sweeping stroke or blow
countable
A strong blow given with a sweeping motion, as with a bat or club.
uncountable
Poor, weak beer or other inferior alcoholic beverage; rotgut.
countableinformal
A rough guess; an estimate or swag.
Word at a Glance
- Frequency
- Uncommon
- Typical Use
- Varies by meaning
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Synonyms
Sense: quick grab or bat
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.