Sc. Also 4–6, 9 swak, 5 swayk, 6 suak, swake. [Echoic; cf. SWACK sb. and obs. Du. swacken ‘vibrare’ (Kilian).]
1. trans. To fling, dash; to brandish (a sword).
1375. Barbour, Bruce, X. 623. And nocht-for-thi ȝeit ves thar ane Of thame that swakked doun a stane. Ibid., XVII. 691. The gynour than gert bend in hy The gyne, and swakked out the stane. [So ed. Hart 1616; v.r. swappit.]
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, xxix. (Placidas), 381. To swak sir eustace in þe se.
c. 1425. Wyntoun, Cron., IV. iv. 380. That Cyrus suld him tak in yre, And swak him in a birnand fyre.
c. 1480. Henryson, Mor. Fab., Fox, Wolf & Cadger, xxi. The hering ane and ane out of the creillis he swakkit doun gude wane.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, III. ix. 114. The swelland swirl wphesit ws to hevin, Syne wald the wall swak ws doun full evin. Ibid., X. x. 78. Bald Lucagus swakkis a burnyst brand.
1560. Rolland, Seven Sages, 74. In hir armes culd scho tak Ane mekill stane, and in the well did swak.
18[?]. Battle of Otterbourne, in Maidment, Scot. Ballads (1868), I. 65. They swakked [v.r. swapped] their swords, till sair they sweat.
1892. J. Lumsden, Sheep-head & Trotters, 34. Syne swacked they swords in deidly wroth.
absol. c. 1590. J. Stewart, Poems (S.T.S.), II. 69/148. Thay suak and poulsis to and fro full fast.
2. intr. To strike or dash heavily.
c. 1470. Henry, Wallace, V. 195. At Wallace in the hed he swaket thar.
1819. W. Tennant, Papistry Storm’d (1827), 147. Baith totterin’ knichts were like to swak Upon the yird thegither.
