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Definition of swipe verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

swipe

verb
 
/swaɪp/
 
/swaɪp/
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they swipe
 
/swaɪp/
 
/swaɪp/
he / she / it swipes
 
/swaɪps/
 
/swaɪps/
past simple swiped
 
/swaɪpt/
 
/swaɪpt/
past participle swiped
 
/swaɪpt/
 
/swaɪpt/
-ing form swiping
 
/ˈswaɪpɪŋ/
 
/ˈswaɪpɪŋ/
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  1. [intransitive, transitive] swipe (at) somebody/something to hit or try to hit somebody/something with your hand or an object by moving your arm with a wide, curved movement
    • He swiped at the ball and missed.
  2. [transitive] swipe something (informal) to steal something synonym pinch
    • They’re always swiping other kids’ sweets.
    Topics Crime and punishmentc2
  3. [transitive] swipe something to pass a plastic card, such as a credit card, through a special machine that is able to read the information that is stored on it
    • The cash register only opens once the card has been swiped.
  4. [intransitive, transitive] swipe (something) (on/across something) to move your finger quickly across the screen of an electronic device such as a mobile phone or small computer in order to move text, pictures, etc. or give commands
    • Switch on the phone and swipe your finger across the screen to unlock it.
    Topics Computersc1
  5. Word Originmid 18th cent.: perhaps a variant of sweep.
See swipe in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
trait
noun
 
 
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