verb. (old colloquial: now vulgar).—To drink (and, occasionally, to eat) piggishly: hence as subs. = BOOZE (q.v.), the lap, or the act: in contempt. SWILL-BOWL (SWILLER, SWILL-POT, SWILL-TUB, or SWILL-BELLY) = a heavy toper (or glutton); SWILLED = drunk: see SCREWED (B. E. and GROSE).

1

  1530.  Jyl of Brentford’s Testament [FURNIVALL], 7 [T. L. KINGTON-OLIPHANT, The New English, i. 466. The verb SWYLL takes a new meaning, that of bibere].

2

  1542.  UDALL, The Apophthegmes of Erasmus, 367. Lucious Cotta who Censour (who was taken for the greatest SWIELBOLLE of wyne in the woorlde one of theim).

3

  d. 1563.  BALE [Works (Parker Society), 193]. Their oiled SWILL-BOWLS and blind Balaamites.

4

  1580.  BARET, An Alvearie, or Triple Dictionarie in English, Latin, and French. SWILBOLLES, potores bibuli.

5

  1593.  G. HARVEY, Pierce’s Supererogation [GROSART, Works, ii. 141]. Wantonnesse was neuer such a SWILL-BOWLE of ribaldry.

6

  1597.  SHAKESPEARE, Richard III., v. 2. 9.

        The wretched, bloody, and usurping boar,
That spoil’d your summer fields and fruitful vines,
SWILLS your warm blood like wash, and makes his trough
In your embowell’d bosoms.

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  1616.  R. C., The Times’ Whistle [E.E.T.S.], 20, l. 556.

        For they, which on this day doe drink & SWILL
In such lewd fashion.

8

  1652.  R. BROME, A Joviall Crew, ii.

        As Tom or Tib, or Jack, or Jill,
When they at Bowsing Ken do SWILL.

9

  1653.  URQUHART, Rabelais, I. xxxiii. What doth that part of our army in the meantime which overthrows that unworthy SWILL-POT Grangousier?

10

  1725.  N. BAILEY, trans. The Colloquies of Erasmus, 198. The husband, instead of my dear soul, has been called blockhead, toss-pot, SWILL-TUB, and the wife sow, fool, dirty drab.

11

  1775.  SHERIDAN, Duenna, iii. 5. Ye eat, and SWILL, and sleep, and gormandize, and thrive.

12

  1808.  SCOTT, Marmion, i. 22.

        Let Friar John in safety still
In chimney-corner snore his fill,
Roast hissing crabs, or flagons SWILL.

13

  1866.  G. ELIOT, Felix Holt, xi. SWILLING themselves with ale.

14

  1899.  H. WYNDHAM, The Queen’s Service, xxxvi. He was SWILLING beer in the canteen as if he had never done anything else in his life.

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