1
a
: mop
especially
: a yarn mop
b(1)
: a wad of absorbent material usually wound around one end of a small stick and used especially for applying medication or for removing material from an area
(2)
: a specimen taken with a swab
c
: a sponge or cloth patch attached to a long handle and used to clean the bore of a firearm
swabbed; swabbing
1
: to clean with or as if with a swab
2
: to apply medication to with a swab
swabbed the wound with iodine
Synonyms
Examples of swab in a Sentence
Noun
Use a cotton swab dipped in alcohol to disinfect the area.
The doctor took a throat swab and sent it to the lab.
Verb
The nurse swabbed the cut with a disinfectant.
Recent Examples on the Web
Peter Van Sant, CBS News, 4 Jan. 2025
The analysis showed that the nasal swabs could accurately diagnose several asthma subtypes.
—Aria Bendix, NBC News, 2 Jan. 2025
Peter Van Sant, CBS News, 4 Jan. 2025
The researchers swabbed two different regions of the participants' noses and sequenced the fungal DNA to determine the species of fungi present.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 17 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for swab 
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Noun
MacDonough took swabs of the blood on Edgar's face for DNA testing —
J.P. MACDONOUGH (hospital bodycam): All right, Matthew.
—Peter Van Sant, CBS News, 4 Jan. 2025
The analysis showed that the nasal swabs could accurately diagnose several asthma subtypes.
—Aria Bendix, NBC News, 2 Jan. 2025
Verb
And all that blood on Edgar's face that MacDonough swabbed and had tested?
—Peter Van Sant, CBS News, 4 Jan. 2025
The researchers swabbed two different regions of the participants' noses and sequenced the fungal DNA to determine the species of fungi present.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 17 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for swab
Dictionary Entries Near swab
Cite this Entry
“Swab.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/swab. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
swab
1 of 2 noun1
b
: a wad of absorbent material usually wound around one end of a small stick and used especially for applying medicine or for removing material (as from a wound)
also
: a sample taken with a swab
2
: sailor
swab
2 of 2 verb
swabbed; swabbing
: to use a swab on
Medical Definition
swab
1 of 2 noun1
: a wad of absorbent material usually wound around one end of a small stick and used for applying medication or for removing material from an area
2
: a specimen taken with a swab
a throat swab
swab
2 of 2 transitive verb
swabbed; swabbing
: to apply medication to with a swab
swabbed the wound with iodine
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