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swarm

Syllabification: (swarm)
Pronunciation: /swôrm/

Translate swarm | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of swarm

noun

  • a large or dense group of insects, especially flying ones.
  • a large number of honeybees that leave a hive en masse with a newly fertilized queen in order to establish a new colony.
  • (a swarm/swarms of) a large number of people or things:a swarm of journalists
  • a series of similar-sized earthquakes occurring together, typically near a volcano.
  • Astronomy a large number of minor celestial objects occurring together in space, especially a dense shower of meteors.

verb

  • 1 [no object] (of insects) move in or form a swarm: (as adjective swarming)swarming locusts
  • (of honeybees, ants, or termites) issue from the nest in large numbers with a newly fertilized queen in order to found new colonies:the bees had swarmed and left the hive
  • 2 [no object] move somewhere in large numbers:protesters were swarming into the building
  • (swarm with) (of a place) be crowded or overrun with (moving people or things):the place was swarming with police

Phrasal Verbs

swarm up

climb (something) rapidly by gripping it with one’s hands and feet, alternately hauling and pushing oneself upward:I swarmed up the mast
[ mid 16th century: of unknown origin]

Origin:

Old English swearm (noun), of Germanic origin; related to German Schwarm, probably also to the base of Sanskrit svarati 'it sounds'

swarm in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of swarm in the British & World English dictionary

Nearby words

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