[f. SWASH v. + -ING1.]
1. Ostentatious behavior; swaggering.
(Cf. SWASH sb.1 7, 8, SWASH a.1 2, SWASH v. 3, SWASHER2, SWASHING ppl. a. 1.)
1556. Olde, Antichrist, 138 b. The ruffling and ioyly swashing of a princes courte.
1587. Greene, Carde of Fancie, Wks. (Grosart), IV. 14. To see my sonne,… consume his time … in swearing and swashing.
2. Violent or noisy striking.
a. 1661. Fuller, Worthies, London, II. (1662), 199. Swash-Buckler [so called] from swashing, or making a noise on Bucklers.
3. Dashing or splashing of water.
1819. C’tess Spencer, Lett., 3 Nov., in Corr. Lady Lyttelton, viii. (1912), 215. Only that we still keep up that rare and useless custom of washing and swashing, we should pig it as comfortably as they wallow in Italy.
1864. Carlyle, Fredk. Gt., XVII. v. IV. 558. The primordial diluviums and world-old torrents,… with such storming, gurgling, and swashing.
1870. J. Sharpe, in Eng. Mech., 4 March, 608/3. ‘Rushing’ and ‘swashing’ in millstones is caused by not driving the stone from its centre.
1872. O. W. Holmes, Poet Breakf.-t., xi. (1885), 287. Sparrows … keep up such a swashing and swabbing and spattering round … the water basins.
