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sway
sway / swā/ • v. move or cause to move slowly or rhythmically backward and forward or from side to side: [intr.] he swayed slightly on his feet | [as adj.] (swaying) swaying palm trees | [tr.] wind rattled and swayed the trees. ∎ [tr.] control or influence (a person or course of action): he's easily swayed by other people. ∎ poetic/lit. rule; govern: now let the Lord forever reign and sway us as he will. • n. 1. a rhythmical movement from side to side: the easy sway of her hips. 2. rule; control: the part of the continent under Russia's sway. PHRASES: hold sway have great power or influence over a particular person, place, or domain.PHRASAL VERBS: sway something up Naut. hoist a mast into position. |
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"sway." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "sway." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-sway.html "sway." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-sway.html |
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sway
sway †bias; rule, dominion XVI.
So vb. move or swing to one side and the other XVI. corr. formally to Du. zwaaien swing, wave, walk totteringly, LG. swājen move to and fro as with the wind; but preceded by late ME. sweigh, sweye, applied to sweeping or swinging motion, the vocalism of which corr. to that of ON. sveigja bend, (intr.) give way; the history is obscure. |
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T. F. HOAD. "sway." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "sway." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-sway.html T. F. HOAD. "sway." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-sway.html |
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sway
sway, a term used to imply hoisting. It is particularly used where sailing ships use their own rig to hoist components such as yards and upper masts.
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"sway." The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "sway." The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O225-sway.html "sway." The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea. 2006. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O225-sway.html |
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Sway
Sway Hants. Sueia 1086 (DB). Possibly an OE river-name meaning ‘noisy stream’, or from OE swæth ‘swathe, track’.
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A. D. MILLS. "Sway." A Dictionary of British Place-Names. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. A. D. MILLS. "Sway." A Dictionary of British Place-Names. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O40-Sway.html A. D. MILLS. "Sway." A Dictionary of British Place-Names. 2003. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O40-Sway.html |
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sway
sway n. rule; control: the part of the continent under Russia's sway.
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"sway." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "sway." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O63-sway.html "sway." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O63-sway.html |
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sway
sway
•affray, agley, aka, allay, Angers, A-OK, appellation contrôlée, array, assay, astray, au fait, auto-da-fé, away, aweigh, aye, bay, belay, betray, bey, Bombay, Bordet, boulevardier, bouquet, brae, bray, café au lait, Carné, cassoulet, Cathay, chassé, chevet, chez, chiné, clay, convey, Cray, crème brûlée, crudités, cuvée, cy-pres, day, decay, deejay, dégagé, distinguée, downplay, dray, Dufay, Dushanbe, eh, embay, engagé, essay, everyday, faraway, fay, fey, flay, fray, Frey, fromage frais, gainsay, gay, Gaye, Genet, gilet, glissé, gray, grey, halfway, hay, heigh, hey, hooray, Hubei, Hué, hurray, inveigh, jay, jeunesse dorée, José, Kay, Kaye, Klee, Kray, Lae, lay, lei, Littré, Lough Neagh, lwei, Mae, maguey, Malay, Mallarmé, Mandalay, Marseilles, may, midday, midway, mislay, misplay, Monterrey, Na-Dene, nay, né, née, neigh, Ney, noway, obey, O'Dea, okay, olé, outlay, outplay, outstay, outweigh, oyez, part-way, pay, Pei, per se, pince-nez, play, portray, pray, prey, purvey, qua, Quai d'Orsay, Rae, rangé, ray, re, reflet, relevé, roman-à-clef, Santa Fé, say, sei, Shar Pei, shay, slay, sleigh, sley, spae, spay, Spey, splay, spray, stay, straightaway, straightway, strathspey, stray, Sui, survey, sway, Taipei, Tay, they, today, tokay, Torbay, Tournai, trait, tray, trey, two-way, ukiyo-e, underlay, way, waylay, Wei, weigh, wey, Whangarei, whey, yea
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Cite this article
"sway." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "sway." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-sway.html "sway." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-sway.html |
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