swinIsh

[Eng. swin(e); -ish.] Pertaining o or befitting swine; resembling swine; gro , brutal, hoggish, filthy. "When in swinish sleep their drenched natures lie." Shakesp.: Macbeth, i. 7. swin-ish-ly, *swyn-ish-ly, adv. [Eng. swin ish; -ly. In a swinish, brutal, or filthy manner; like a swine. 'Nor yet bene thank full vnto God for such an heauenly gift, but rather swynishly troden it vnder thy feete." Bale: Image , pt. i., fol. 40. IMG:content-0698.png:[blocks in formation] "Up, lither lad, thou reck'st much of thy swinke, When swinke ne swat thou shouldst, ne reck for fame." Browne: Yonge Willie and Old Wernock. *swink-er, s. [Eng. swink , v.; -er.] A laborer, a worker. "A true swinker , and a good was he, Living in pees and parfite charitee." Chaucer: C. T. , Prol. 533. 1. A native or inhabitant of Switzerland; a Switzer; applied spec if. to the beadles in Roman Catholic churches in France, from the fact that when Napoleon reopened the churches after the Revolution, many of the disbanded Swi guards found employment as beadles. 2. The language spoken by the Swi . Swi -muslin, s . 1. A small flexible twig or rod. "With two spurs or one, and no great matter which, Boots bought, or boots borrow'd, a whip or a switch ," Cowper: The Cantab. (Trans.) 2. A queue of false hair, or of some substance made to resemble hair, fastened together at one end, and worn by ladies. 3. A key on a gas-burner to regulate the amount of gas pa ing, and, consequently, the light. II. Technically : 1. Rail .: The movable rails which connect one line of track with another. Switches are known as stub-switches and split-switches. In the stub- switch the switch-rail has square butted ends. In the split-switch the switch-rail is pointed, and some- what automatic. Switches and signals are said to be connected when they are simply coupled together and have a par i pa u motion; they are said to be interlocked when the movement of a signal to safety cannot be commenced until after the neces sary movement of the switches has been completed, and also the movement of the switches cannot be commenced until after all the signals concerned by them have been set to danger. ( Rapier : Railway Signals , p. 23.) 2. Teleg .: A device for connecting one circuit with another, or for dividing a circuit into two parts, or, in short, for altering any of the connections of a line or circuit. The ordinary ground or lever switch is a small metallic strip pivoted at one end, the pivot being connected by a wire to one portion of an electrical circuit. The other end of the strap can be turned to rest on an anvil or bed connected with the line desired to be brought into circuit. 1. To form eddies; to whirl in eddies. "Bonnie Blackwater, Roaring and brawling and swirling with glee." Blackie: Lays of Highlands and Islands , p. 193. IMG:content-0699.png:[blocks in formation] " Switch on an electric current, by the action of which all these bells will be simultaneously set ringing."- Lon- don Daily Telegraph. *B. In trans.. To walk with a jerk. switch-el, s . [Etym. doubtful.] A beverage made of mola es and water. 1. The act of beating with a switch; a beating. 2. The act of shunting. 3. The act of cutting off the one year's growth which protrudes from the sides of hedges. "The switchman , while working the switches with his hands, worked the signals with his feet."- Rapier : Rail way Signals, p. 23. *switch-y, a. [ Eng.switch ; -y.] Whisking. "Her switchy tail."-Combe: Dr. Syntax, i. 20. " Swith to the Laigh Kirk, ane an' a', An' there tak up your stations." swith-ěr, v . i. [Etym. doubtful.] ( Scotch .) 1. To emit a whirring sound; to whiz. 2. To doubt, to hesitate. A noble race, the Switzers , and their land." Words worth: Excursion , bk. vii. IMG:content-0700.png:[blocks in formation] IMG:content-0701.jpg:[blocks in formation] swob-ber, s. [Eng. swob; -er.] 1. A sweeper of decks, .; a swabber. steel, may be straight and pointed for thrusting, as in the rapier; with a sharp point and one or two cutting edges, for thrusting and striking, as in the broadsword; or curved and with a sharp convex swöll-en, swōln, pa. par. or a. [SWELL, v.]