Forms: 4 north. suun, squowen, -in, 4–5 swon-e, swoun-e, swown-e, (5 swon, swonne ?, suoun), 5–6 swone, swown, 5–7 swoun(e, swowne, (6 Sc. swne, 7 swoone), 7– swoon. [Orig. in phr. in swoune, etc. (sense 1), alteration of a swoun, ASWOON, q.v.; otherwise f. SWOON v. Cf. the parallel SWOW and ASWOUGH, ASWOW(E.
In the following quot. the spelling swoon is used where the rhyme requires swound.
1682. N. O., Boileau’s Lutrin, II. 16. Thus spoke our Lover whining, plain and round, And clos’d her speech with an half-dying swoon.]
1. The action of swooning or the condition of one who has swooned; syncope.
a. without article, in phr. to fall, lie in (occas. on, of) swoon, arch.
13[?]. Guy Warw. (A.) 557. Adoun he fel a-swounie; & when he gan to dawei [etc.].
c. 1386. Chaucer, Doctor’s T., 245. And with that word she fil aswowne [v.rr. on swoune, on swoun, a swoun, in swoune] anon.
1390. Gower, Conf., III. 310. For sorwe a swoune [v.r. aswoune] he overthrew, That noman wiste in him no lif. [For later examples see ASWOON.]
a. 1300. Cursor M., 11722. Þai fell in suun al þat þar war.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., A. 1180. A longeyng heuy me strok in swone [rhymes regioun, etc.].
1340. Hampole, Pr. Consc., 7289. Þai salle … deghe ever-mare lyfand with-alle, Als men dose þat we se in swowne falle.
1390. Gower, Conf., II. 249. And with that word sche gan doun falle On [v.rr. Of, Inne] swoune.
a. 1400–50. Wars Alex., 734 (Dublin MS.). [She] drowpys doun in swone.
c. 1440. Generydes, 4095. Clarionas … fylle down in swoune [rhyme doon = down].
c. 1480. Henryson, Mor. Fab., Swallow, etc. xxxvii. That bludie bowcheour beit thay birdis doun … Sum with ane staf he straik to eirth on swoun.
c. 1489. Caxton, Blanchardyn, iv. 19. They were bothe fal in swone.
1535. Stewart, Cron. Scot. (Rolls), I. 408. Helmes wer hewin to the schulderis doun, Rycht mony suelt and mony fell in swoun.
a. 1578. Lindesay (Pitscottie), Chron. Scot. (S.T.S.), I. 208. The king … was sa brucklit in his harnis with the fall that he fell in deidlie swne.
1856. Mrs. Browning, Aur. Leigh, I. 570. As one in swoon, To whom life creeps back in the form of death.
b. In particularized use: A fainting-fit.
1390. Gower, Conf., III. 371. I was out of mi swoune affraied.
14[?]. Sir Beues, 2753 + 77 (MSS. S. & N.). Of his swon sir B. awooke.
c. 1440. Generydes, 2359. He bledde so fast that he felle in A swonne [rhyme sone].
c. 1489. Caxton, Blanchardyn, iv. 20. After that they had layen in a swoune a goode while.
a. 1533. Ld. Berners, Huon, lxvii. 231. They came to Esclaramonde, who lay on ye erth in a swone.
1613. Purchas, Pilgrimage, I. xviii. 82. And falling in a dead swowne, sinketh downe with horror.
1653. R. Lovell, in Nicholas Papers (Camden), II. 36. Mr D[ean] Cosens, as hee was readeing evening prayer, fell down in a swoone.
1664. H. More, Apology, 503. No heart could escape from being struck into a swoun at the sight of so overcoming a Beauty and Majesty.
1719. De Foe, Crusoe, I. 12. I was so surprized, that I fell down in a Swoon.
1833. Tennyson, Eleänore, 134. Then, as in a swoon, With dinning sound my ears are rife.
1865. Kingsley, Herew., vii. The knight, awakening from his swoon, struggled violently … to escape.
fig. 1613. Purchas, Pilgrimage, VI. viii. 498. A swoune meane-while did Rome sustaine.
1643. Sir T. Browne, Relig. Med., 66. I wonder … in what swoun their Reasons lay, to content themselves … with such a … ridiculous reason as Plutarch alleadgeth for it.
a. 1677. Barrow, Serm., Wks. 1716, I. 269. Anger (that swoon of reason).
1817. Shelley, Rev. Islam, II. xiv. 4. Like a sulphurous hill, Which on a sudden from its snows has shaken The swoon of ages.
† 2. A (deep or sound) sleep. Obs. rare.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., I. i. 41. A trickling streame … Mixt with a murmuring winde, much like the sowne Of swarming Bees, did cast him in a swowne. Ibid., III. vi. 7. Her selfe she layd To sleepe, the whiles a gentle slombring swowne Vpon her fell.
