Also 7 swatt, 9 swot. [north. dial. and U.S. variant of SQUAT v.]
1. intr. To sit down, squat. north.
1615. Brathwait, Strappado (1878), 129. Swatt on thy tayle man, heeres a blythy place. And ile ensure thee how I gat this grace.
1804. R. Anderson, Cumbld. Ball. (c. 1850), 49. They swattet tem down. Ibid., 83. Come swat thy ways down on the sattle.
2. trans. To hit with a smart slap or a violent blow; also, to dash. Chiefly U.S.
a. 1796. Pegge, Derbicisms (E.D.S.), Swat a thing on the ground; to swat a person’s brains out.
a. 1800. Pegge, Suppl. Grose (1814), Swat, to throw down forcibly. North.
1848. in Bartlett, Dict. Amer., s.v., Tell me that again, and I’ll swot you over the mug.
1895. Kansas Optimist, 29 June, 5/3. Third round [of the fight] was mainly taken up swatting flies.
1905. D. Wallace, Lure of Labrador Wild, vi. 83. George effectually disposed of the wounded goose by swatting him over the head with the paddle.
1911. Daily Record & Mail, 15 July, 3. A big army for the destruction of the house fly with ‘Swat the Fly’ as its battle-cry.
