Swan \Swan\ (sw[o^]n), n. [AS. swan; akin to D. zwaan, OHG.
swan, G. schwan, Icel. svanr, Sw. svan, Dan. svane; and
perhaps to E. sound something audible.]
1. (Zool.) Any one of numerous species of large aquatic birds
belonging to Cygnus, Olor, and allied genera of the
subfamily Cygninae. They have a large and strong beak
and a long neck, and are noted for their graceful
movements when swimming. Most of the northern species are
white. In literature the swan was fabled to sing a
melodious song, especially at the time of its death.
[1913 Webster]
Note: The European white, or mute, swan ({Cygnus gibbus),
which is most commonly domesticated, bends its neck in
an S-shaped curve. The whistling, or trumpeting, swans
of the genus Olor do not bend the neck in an S-shaped
curve, and are noted for their loud and sonorous cry,
due to complex convolutions of the windpipe. To this
genus belong the European whooper, or whistling swan
({Olor cygnus), the American whistling swan ({Olor
Columbianus), and the trumpeter swan ({Olor
buccinator). The Australian black swan ({Chenopis
atrata) is dull black with white on the wings, and has
the bill carmine, crossed with a white band. It is a
very graceful species and is often domesticated. The
South American black-necked swan ({Sthenelides
melancorypha) is a very beautiful and graceful
species, entirely white, except the head and neck,
which are dark velvety seal-brown. Its bill has a
double bright rose-colored knob.
[1913 Webster]
2. Fig.: An appellation for a sweet singer, or a poet noted
for grace and melody; as Shakespeare is called the swan of
Avon.
[1913 Webster]
3. (Astron.) The constellation Cygnus.
[1913 Webster]
Swan goose (Zool.), a bird of India ({Cygnopsis cygnoides)
resembling both the swan and the goose.
Swan shot, a large size of shot used in fowling.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
swan
n : stately heavy-bodied aquatic bird with very long neck and
usually white plumage as adult
v 1: to declare or affirm solemnly and formally as true; "Before
God I swear I am innocent" [syn: affirm, verify, assert,
avow, aver, swear]
2: move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in
search of food or employment; "The gypsies roamed the
woods"; "roving vagabonds"; "the wandering Jew"; "The
cattle roam across the prairie"; "the laborers drift from
one town to the next"; "They rolled from town to town"
[syn: roll, wander, stray, tramp, roam, cast,
ramble, rove, range, drift, vagabond]
3: sweep majestically; "Airplanes were swanning over the
mountains"
WordNet (r) 2.0
66 Moby Thesaurus words for "swan":
alabaster, avifauna, baby bird, bird, bird of Jove, bird of Juno,
bird of Minerva, bird of night, bird of passage, bird of prey,
birdie, birdlife, birdy, cage bird, chalk, chick, cygnet,
diving bird, dove, driven snow, eagle, eaglet, fish-eating bird,
fledgling, fleece, flightless bird, flour, foam, fowl,
fruit-eating bird, fulmar, game bird, insect-eating bird, ivory,
lily, maggot, migrant, migratory bird, milk, nestling, oscine bird,
owl, paper, passerine bird, peacock, peafowl, peahen, pearl,
perching bird, pigeon, ratite, sea bird, seed-eating bird, sheet,
shore bird, silver, snow, songbird, squab, storm petrel,
stormy petrel, wading bird, warbler, water bird, waterfowl,
wildfowl
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0
SWAN
Secure WAN ??? (RSA), "S/WAN"
Virtual Entity of Relevant Acronyms (Version 1.9, June 2002)
SWAN
Sun Wide Area Network (Sun, WAN)
Virtual Entity of Relevant Acronyms (Version 1.9, June 2002)
Swan
mentioned in the list of unclean birds (Lev. 11:18; Deut.
14:16), is sometimes met with in the Jordan and the Sea of
Galilee.
Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary
Swan, IA (city, FIPS 76665)
Location: 41.46561 N, 93.30942 W
Population (1990): 76 (33 housing units)
Area: 1.7 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
Zip code(s): 50252
U.S. Gazetteer (1990)
Swan, IA -- U.S. city in Iowa
Population (2000): 121
Housing Units (2000): 40
Land area (2000): 0.647074 sq. miles (1.675914 sq. km)
Water area (2000): 0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km)
Total area (2000): 0.647074 sq. miles (1.675914 sq. km)
FIPS code: 76665
Located within: Iowa (IA), FIPS 19
Location: 41.466268 N, 93.311197 W
ZIP Codes (1990): 50252
Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs.
Headwords:
Swan, IA
Swan
U.S. Gazetteer Places (2000)
|
|
|