swim (sw?m)v. swam (sw?m), swum (sw?m), swim·ming, swims v.intr.1. a. To move through or on top of water by moving the limbs, fins, or tail or by undulating the body: Ducks swam in the pond.b. To play or relax in water: The children went swimming in the surf.2. To float on water or another liquid: Suds swam on the surface of the dishwater.3. a. To be covered or flooded with a liquid: chicken swimming in gravy.b. To possess a superfluity; abound: After winning the lottery, she was swimming in money.4. To experience a floating or giddy sensation; be dizzy: “his brain still swimming with the effects of the last night’s champagne” (Robert Smith Surtees).5. To appear to float or spin slowly: The room swam before my eyes.v.tr.1. To move through or across (a body of water or a distance) by swimming: She swam the channel. I swam 10 laps.2. To execute (a particular stroke) in swimming.n.1. a. The act of swimming: went for a swim before lunch.b. A distance covered by or period of time spent swimming.2. An area, as of a river, abounding in fish.adj. Of, relating to, or used for swimming: a swim mask.Idioms: in the swim Active in the general current of affairs. swim against the stream To move counter to a prevailing trend.[Middle English swimmen, from Old English swimman.]swim?ma·ble adj.swim?mer n.American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.swim (sw?m) vb, swims, swimming, swam or swum1. (Swimming, Water Sports & Surfing) (intr) to move along in water, etc, by means of movements of the body or parts of the body, esp the arms and legs, or (in the case of fish) tail and fins2. (Swimming, Water Sports & Surfing) (tr) to cover (a distance or stretch of water) in this way3. (Swimming, Water Sports & Surfing) (tr) to compete in (a race) in this way4. (intr) to be supported by and on a liquid; float5. (Swimming, Water Sports & Surfing) (tr) to use (a particular stroke) in swimming6. (intr) to move smoothly, usually through air or over a surface7. (intr) to reel or seem to reel: my head swam; the room swam around me. 8. (intr; often foll by in or with) to be covered or flooded with water or other liquid9. (often foll by: in) to be liberally supplied (with): he’s swimming in money. 10. (tr) to cause to float or swim11. (tr) to provide (something) with water deep enough to float in12. swim against the tide stream to resist prevailing opinion13. swim with the tide stream to conform to prevailing opinionn14. (Swimming, Water Sports & Surfing) the act, an instance, or period of swimming15. any graceful gliding motion16. a condition of dizziness; swoon17. (Angling) a pool in a river good for fishing18. in the swim informal fashionable or active in social or political activities[Old English swimman; related to Old Norse svima, German schwimmen, Gothic swumsl pond, Norwegian svamla to paddle] ?swimmable adj ?swimmer n ?swimming n, adjCollins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014swim (sw?m) v. swam, swum, swim?ming, n. v.i. 1. to move in water by using the limbs, fins, tail, etc. 2. to float on the surface of water or some other liquid. 3. to move, rest, or be suspended in air as if swimming in water. 4. to move, glide, or go smoothly over a surface. 5. to be immersed or flooded with a liquid: eyes swimming with tears. 6. to be dizzy or giddy; seem to whirl: My head began to swim. v.t. 7. to move along in or cross (a body of water) by swimming. 8. to perform (a particular stroke) in swimming. 9. to cause to swim or float. n. 10. an act, instance, or period of swimming. 11. a motion as of swimming. Idioms: in the swim, alert to or actively engaged in current affairs, social activities, etc. [before 900; Middle English swimmen, Old English swimman, c. Old Saxon, Old High German swimman, Old Norse svimma] swim?mer, n. Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.swimPast participle: swumGerund: swimmingImperativePresentPreteritePresent ContinuousPresent PerfectPast ContinuousPast PerfectFutureFuture PerfectFuture ContinuousPresent Perfect ContinuousFuture Perfect ContinuousPast Perfect ContinuousConditionalPast ConditionalImperativeswimswimPresentI swimyou swimhe/she/it swimswe swimyou swimthey swimPreteriteI swamyou swamhe/she/it swamwe swamyou swamthey swamPresent ContinuousI am swimmingyou are swimminghe/she/it is swimmingwe are swimmingyou are swimmingthey are swimmingPresent PerfectI have swumyou have swumhe/she/it has swumwe have swumyou have swumthey have swumPast ContinuousI was swimmingyou were swimminghe/she/it was swimmingwe were swimmingyou were swimmingthey were swimmingPast PerfectI had swumyou had swumhe/she/it had swumwe had swumyou had swumthey had swumFutureI will swimyou will swimhe/she/it will swimwe will swimyou will swimthey will swimFuture PerfectI will have swumyou will have swumhe/she/it will have swumwe will have swumyou will have swumthey will have swumFuture ContinuousI will be swimmingyou will be swimminghe/she/it will be swimmingwe will be swimmingyou will be swimmingthey will be swimmingPresent Perfect ContinuousI have been swimmingyou have been swimminghe/she/it has been swimmingwe have been swimmingyou have been swimmingthey have been swimmingFuture Perfect ContinuousI will have been swimmingyou will have been swimminghe/she/it will have been swimmingwe will have been swimmingyou will have been swimmingthey will have been swimmingPast Perfect ContinuousI had been swimmingyou had been swimminghe/she/it had been swimmingwe had been swimmingyou had been swimmingthey had been swimmingConditionalI would swimyou would swimhe/she/it would swimwe would swimyou would swimthey would swimPast ConditionalI would have swumyou would have swumhe/she/it would have swumwe would have swumyou would have swumthey would have swumCollins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011