Sway-

the vb.-stem or sb. used in comb.: sway-bar, a circular piece of timber on the hinder end of the fore-hounds of a carriage, resting on the coupling-poles and sliding on them when the carriage turns; sway-beam, an early name for the side-lever in a steam-engine; = BEAN sb.¹ 11; sway-bracing, diagonal bracing of a bridge, designed to prevent swaying; so sway-brace sb.; sway-brace v., to strengthen with a sway-brace; sway plate, the plate covering the sway-bar; † sway tree, ? a crane.

1801.  W. Felton, Carriages, II. Suppl. 18. For the purpose of putting in new futchels, a *sway bar, [etc.].

1812.  Chron., in Ann. Reg., 148/1. The shock … broke a sway-bar, and threw the state coachman off the box.

1890.  Lincoln Gaz., 6 Sept., 6/5. To … unship pole and sway-bars.

1839.  R. S. Robinson, Naut. Steam Eng., 69. The *sway beams or side levers, two of which are attached to each engine.

1909.  Century Dict., Suppl., *Sway-brace, a diagonal bracing used to resist side- or swaying-strains.

1903.  Sci. Amer., 19 Sept., 202/3. The two legs of the tower will be heavily *sway-braced.

1864.  Webster, *Sway-bracing (Engin.), the horizontal bracing of a bridge, which prevents its swaying.

1852.  Burn, Naval & Milit. Dict. (1863), *Sway plate, coiffe de grande sassoire.

c. 1632.  in Brand, Newcastle (1789), I. 370, note. One *swea tree with two rolles for taking and laying down lair-stones.