swell
noun/swel/
/swel/
- [countable, usually singular] the movement of the sea when it rises and falls without the waves breaking
- The boat was caught in a heavy (= strong) swell.
Extra ExamplesTopics Geographyc2- The boat rose and fell with the swell.
- Shells had been pounded by the Atlantic swells into fine sand.
- The tide receded, causing the swell to break.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- heavy
- gentle
- slight
- …
- break
- come in
- roll in
- …
- in a/the swell
- on the swell
- with the swell
- …
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- [singular] (formal) the curved shape of something, especially a part of the body
- the firm swell of her breasts
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- gentle
- soft
- swell of
- [singular] a situation in which something increases in size, number, strength, etc.
- a growing swell of support
- a swell of pride
- [singular] (of music or noise) a slow steady increase in the volume of something synonym crescendo
- (old-fashioned, informal) an important or fashionable person
Word OriginOld English swellan (verb), of Germanic origin; related to German schwellen. Current senses of the noun date from the early 16th cent.; the informal adjectival use derives from noun sense (5) (late 18th cent.).
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