Definition of swab

• n. - To clean with a mop or swab; to wipe when very wet, as after washing; as, to swab the desk of a ship.
• n. - A kind of mop for cleaning floors, the desks of vessels, etc., esp. one made of rope-yarns or threads.
• n. - 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.
• n. - An epaulet.
• n. - A cod, or pod, as of beans or pease.
• n. - A sponge, or other suitable substance, attached to a long rod or handle, for cleaning the bore of a firearm.