Variant of SWARF sb.2

1

  With quot. 1596 cf. quot. 1566 s.v. SWARF sb.2

2

1596.  Wills & Inv. N. C. (Surtees, 1860), 259. In dieng stuffe … In brasell, half a hundreth and xj poundes, 46s. 8d. In galles, viij poundes, 6s. In swarthe, iiij poundes, 8d.

3

1783–4.  London Sessions Papers, 472. He told me that there was some swarth, that is iron file dust.

4

1892.  Rigby, in Min. Proc. Inst. Civ. Engin., CXI. 140. A capillary brass tube [in a drilling-machine], supplying soap-and-oil emulsion at a pressure of 80 lbs. on the inch. This washes out the ‘swarth’ and cools the cutting-edge.

5