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swishes

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swish

  [swish] ,
Use swishes in a Sentence
–verb (used without object)
1. to move with or make a sibilant sound, as a slender rod cutting sharply through the air or as small waves washing on the shore.
2. to rustle, as silk.
3. to move or behave in an exaggeratedly effeminate manner.
–verb (used with object)
4. to flourish, whisk, etc., with a swishing movement or sound: to swish a cane.
5. to bring, take, cut, etc., with such a movement or sound: to swish off the tops of plants with a cane.
6. to flog or whip.
–noun
7. a swishing movement or sound.
8. a stock or rod for flogging or a stroke with this.
9. Slang: Disparaging and Offensive. an effeminate male homosexual.
–adjective
10. Slang. swishy (def. 2).
11. Chiefly British Informal. stylishly elegant; fashionable.
Origin:
1750–60; imit.

Related forms:
swisher, noun
swish⋅ing⋅ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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swish   (swĭsh)   
v.   swished, swish·ing, swish·es

v.   intr.

  1. To move with a hissing or whistling sound, as a whip.

  2. To rustle, as silk.

v.   tr.

  1. To cause to make a swishing sound.

  2. To strike or cut with a swishing sound.

  3. To whip with a rod.

n.  

    1. A sharp whistling or rustling sound: the swish of scythes.

    2. A movement making such a sound.

    3. A rod used for flogging.

    4. A stroke made with such a rod.

    1. A rod used for flogging.

    2. A stroke made with such a rod.

  3. Offensive Slang Used as a disparaging term for a homosexual man.

adj.  

  1. Informal Fashionable; posh: "a swish pastry shop on the Rue du Bac" (Julia Child).

  2. Slang Effeminate.


[Imitative.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Slang Dictionary
swish [swɪʃ]

  1. mod.
    overly fancy; effeminate; displaying effeminacy. : The lobby of the theater was a little swish, but not offensive.
  2. n.
    elaborate decoration; effeminacy. : What this place needs is more swish. Hang some baubles here and there.
  3. n.
    a gay male. (Rude and derogatory.) : This place is full of swishes. Let's leave.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Word Origin & History

swish  (v.)
1756, probably imitative of the sound made by something brushing against or through something. The noun is from 1820; sense of "effeminate homosexual" is 1930s in homosexual slang, probably from notion of mincing motion.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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