Where does “swab” come from?
Swab comes from Middle English swabber, from Middle Dutch zwabber, originally meaning one who wipes or swabs.
swab (English): A small piece of soft, absorbent material, such...
Definitions
- A small piece of soft, absorbent material, such...
Ancestry of “swab”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Proto-Germanic | swēbaz | someone of the Suebi |
| 2 | Indo-European | *swé | — |
Words derived from “swab”