[f. prec. sb.]
1. trans. To turn (something) on or as on a swivel.
1794. Sporting Mag., III. 162/2. Our hobs can swivel noses at single stick who fight.
1832. Prop. Regul. Instr. Cavalry, II. 41. The … men … swivel their carbines.
1876. C. D. Warner, Wint. Nile, xxv. 311. He simply swivels his eye around and brings it to bear on the object.
1879. Cassell’s Techn. Educ., IV. 343/1. It swivels or adjusts itself so as to prevent irregular cutting.
1914. J. G. Horner, Gear Cutting, 89. The tooth flank is swivelled about the apex of the cone of the gear.
2. intr. To turn or rotate as, or as on, a swivel.
1846. Holtzapffel, Turning, II. 854. If the jaws are closed upon a taper object,… the two parts of the vice swivel horizontally on a joint.
1869. Rankine, Machine & Hand-tools, Pl. L 4. Each of the lower speed cones, F, is so mounted as to be capable of swivelling about the shaft, E.
1884. Knight, Dict. Mech., Suppl., 754/2. A street car mounted on its running gear so as to swivel thereon and turn end for end, dispensing with a turn-table.
3. trans. To furnish with a swivel; to fasten to something by means of a swivel.
1870. Eng. Mech., 14 Jan., 429/3. Arms swivelled to a revolving disc.
1891. Pall Mall G., 10 Dec., 2/2. The electric current not only rings the alarm bell but also swivels up the harness of the horses that draw the fire-engine.
1901. Daily News, 9 Jan., 3/3. The weapons are also fitted with a short sling attached to the ring swivelled on to the fore band of the piece.
Hence Swivelled ppl. a., furnished with a swivel; Swivelling vbl. sb. and ppl. a.
1869. Rankine, Machine & Hand-tools, Pl. O 4. A suitable swivelling joint being provided to enable the crane to make complete revolutions.
1871. Routledge’s Ev. Boy’s Ann., Oct., 594. Joined together by a swivelling-pin over the driving-wheel.
1884. F. J. Britten, Watch & Clockm., 138. The upper slide is swivelled.
1894. T. W. Fox, Mech. Weaving, XII. 316. A rack is usually governed by the Jacquard through a cam, a series of links, and an upright shaft, and means are provided for putting the rack out of action whenever it becomes necessary to stop swivelling.
1911. Encycl. Brit., XXVII. 164/1. Modern car bodies are mounted either on a single four-wheeled truck, with a fixed or rigid wheel-base, or on two four-wheeled bogies or swivelling trucks.
1914. J. G. Horner, Gear Cutting, 168. The swivelling movement of the cutter head.
