1
a
: mop
especially
: a yarn mop
b(1)
: a wad of absorbent material usually wound around one end of a small stick and used especially for applying medication or for removing material from an area
(2)
: a specimen taken with a swab
c
: a sponge or cloth patch attached to a long handle and used to clean the bore of a firearm
swabbed; swabbing
1
: to clean with or as if with a swab
2
: to apply medication to with a swab
swabbed the wound with iodine
Examples of swab in a Sentence
Noun
Use a cotton swab dipped in alcohol to disinfect the area.
The doctor took a throat swab and sent it to the lab.
Verb
The nurse swabbed the cut with a disinfectant.
Recent Examples on the Web
Ars Technica, 2 Mar. 2025
The swabs were then transported on ice to a laboratory, where the collected genetic material was extracted and analyzed.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2025
Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 28 Feb. 2025
This involves swabbing the back of your throat and sending the swab to the lab.
—Lindsay Curtis, Health, 15 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for swab
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Noun
Once on Earth, the swabs were separated, with one side going for DNA sequencing and the other side being used for mass spectrometry analysis to identify chemicals.
—Ars Technica, 2 Mar. 2025
The swabs were then transported on ice to a laboratory, where the collected genetic material was extracted and analyzed.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2025
Verb
The team's findings are based on an analysis of 803 surface samples swabbed across the U.S. portion of the ISS, resulting in the largest dataset illustrating the habitat's microbial and chemical landscape.
—Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 28 Feb. 2025
This involves swabbing the back of your throat and sending the swab to the lab.
—Lindsay Curtis, Health, 15 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for swab
Cite this Entry
“Swab.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/swab. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
swab
1 of 2 noun1
b
: a wad of absorbent material usually wound around one end of a small stick and used especially for applying medicine or for removing material (as from a wound)
also
: a sample taken with a swab
2
: sailor
swab
2 of 2 verb
swabbed; swabbing
: to use a swab on
Medical Definition
swab
1 of 2 noun1
: a wad of absorbent material usually wound around one end of a small stick and used for applying medication or for removing material from an area
2
: a specimen taken with a swab
a throat swab
swab
2 of 2 transitive verb
swabbed; swabbing
: to apply medication to with a swab
swabbed the wound with iodine
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