[Echoic. Cf. SWASH sb.1]
1. trans. To dash or cast violently.
1577. Holinshed, Chron., II. 444/2. The Archbyshop of Yorke … swasht him down, meaning to thrust himselfe in betwixt the Legate, and the Archb. of Canterbury.
1582. Stanyhurst, Æneis, I. (Arb.), 19. This Queene wyld lightninges from clowds of Iuppiter hurling Downe swasht theyre nauy.
1710. Ruddiman, Douglas’ Æneis, Gloss. s.v. Squat, Scot. swash, Ang. squat is to cast against the ground.
1866. Gregor, Banffsh. Gloss.
2. intr. To dash or move violently about; also occas. refl.
1583. Golding, Calvin on Deut. cxxxi. 807/1. As a swyne when he hath once winded his meat, runnes on to swash himself in it [orig. se fourrer la].
1609. Holland, Amm. Marcell., XXXI. vii. 413. On all sides swords swashed and darts flew as thicke as haile.
1831. Carlyle, Sart. Res., II. ii. If … your House fell, have I not seen five neighbourly Helpers appear next day; and swashing to and fro,… complete it again before nightfall? Ibid. (1837), Fr. Rev., II. IV. vi. Your dusty Mill of Valmy … may furl its canvas, and cease swashing and circling.
1879. Stevenson, Trav. Donkey, 139. A jolting trot that set the oats swashing in the pocket of my coat.
1889. ‘Mark Twain,’ Yankee at Crt. K. Arthur, vii. The gusts of wind were flaring the torches and making the shadows swash about.
3. To make a noise as of swords clashing or of a sword beating on a shield (cf. SWASHBUCKLER); to fence with swords; to bluster with or as with weapons; to lash out; hence, to swagger.
1556. [see SWASHING vbl. sb. 1 and ppl. a. 1].
1565. Cooper, Thesaurus, s.v. Concrepo, Concrepare gladiis ad scuta, to swashe, or make a noyse with swoordes agavnst tergattes.
1593. Lodge, Will. Longbeard, C 3 b. He overmaistered [them] by his attendants, swashing out in the open streets uppon everie light occasion.
1593. Bacchus Bountie, in Harl. Misc. (Malh.), II. 265. I give them right to sweare it out with wordes, I giue them might to swash it out with swordes.
1600. Breton, Pasquil’s Fooles Cap, xl. Shee that … Ruffin-like, will sweare, and swash it out.
1611. Florio, Cortellare, to fence, to swash with swords, to swagger.
1629. Z. Boyd, Last Battell, 673. [They], in hight of stomacke, ruffling & swashing, did tread vpon God’s turtles.
a. 1825. Forby, Voc. E. Anglia, Swash, to affect valour: to vapour or swagger.
1837. Carlyle, Fr. Rev., I. VII. ii. Captains of horse and foot go swashing with ‘enormous white cockades.’ Ibid. (1850), Two-hundred & Fifty Y. Ago, Ess. 1857. IV. 321. Bucklers went out … ‘about the twentieth of Queen Elizabeth’; men do not now swash with them, or fight in that way.
1890. Pall Mall G., 1 July, 2/2. When Mr. Caine joined Lord Randolph in swashing at the Government.
1893. Baring-Gould, Cheap Jack Zita, xxxv. III. 111. He will swash about with his toasting-fork as if ’twere a cutlass.
4. trans. To dash or splash (water) about; to dash water upon, souse with water or liquid; (of water) to beat with a splash against.
1589. Fleming, Virg. Georg., IV. 64, note. Gargarise, or swash in and about the mouth.
1656. [? J. Sergeant], trans. T. White’s Peripat. Inst., 67. As it happens in liquids when they are swash’d up and down.
1721. Bailey, To Swash, to make fly about, as Water.
1828. Moir, Mansie Wauch, xix. 281. Having a bucket … I swashed down such showers on the top of the flames.
1836. W. Irving, Astoria, v. (1849), 61. For three hours and a half did they tug … at the oar, swashed occasionally by the surging waves of the open sea.
1862. G. H. Kingsley, Sport & Trav. (1900), 375. Men swishing and swashing and brooming about.
1863. W. W. Story, Roba di R., II. i. 1. The boards on which the meats are laid are swashed constantly with water.
1876. R. Bridges, Growth of Love, xxvii. What grisly beast of scaly chine That champ’d the ocean-wrack and swashed the brine.
1887. Pall Mall G., 28 Sept., 8/1. He added that the excursion boats also swashed the Thistle, damaging her to a certain extent.
5. intr. Of water or of an object in water: To dash with a splashing sound; to splash about.
1836. W. Irving, Astoria, lviii. (1849), 477. The next wave threw their bodies back upon the deck, where they remained swashing backward and forward.
1843. Carlyle, Misc., Dr. Francia (1857), IV. 269. You have all got linen bathing-garments, and can swash about with some decency.
1847. H. Melville, Omoo, x. The water fairly poured down in sheets … swashing about.
1876. Holland, Sev. Oaks, v. 65. Flocks of ducks … swashed down with a fluttering ricochet into the water.
1892. H. Hutchinson, Fairway Island, 25. The sea at the cliff foot—swashing ever louder and louder.
