Hypertext Webster Gateway: "swab"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Swab \Swab\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Swabbed}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Swabbing}.] [See {Swabber}, n.]
To clean with a mop or swab; to wipe when very wet, as after
washing; as, to swab the desk of a ship. [Spelt also {swob}.]
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Swab \Swab\, n. [Written also swob.]
1. A kind of mop for cleaning floors, the desks of vessels,
etc., esp. one made of rope-yarns or threads.
2. A bit of sponge, cloth, or the like, fastened to a handle,
for cleansing the mouth of a sick person, applying
medicaments to deep-seated parts, etc.
3. (Naut.) An epaulet. [Sailor's Slang] --Marryat.
4. A cod, or pod, as of beans or pease. [Obs.] --Bailey.
5. A sponge, or other suitable substance, attached to a long
rod or handle, for cleaning the bore of a firearm.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
swab
n 1: implement consisting of a small piece of cotton that is used
to apply medication or cleanse a wound or obtain a
specimen of a secretion
2: cleaning implement consisting of absorbent material fastened
to a handle; for cleaning floors [syn: {swob}, {mop}]
v 1: wash with a swab or a mop; "swab the ship's decks" [syn: {swob}]
2: apply (usually a liquid) to a surface [syn: {dab}, {swob}]
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