swoop

swoop
I UK [swuːp] / US [swup] verb [intransitive]
Word forms "swoop":
present tense I/you/we/they swoop he/she/it swoops present participle swooping past tense swooped past participle swooped
1) to move quickly and suddenly downwards through the air, especially in order to attack or catch someone or something

The aircraft swooped down over the fields in search of its target.

We watched the hawk swoop on its prey.

2) to make a sudden and unexpected attack on a place

Police swooped on Blake's home yesterday.


II UK [swuːp] / US [swup] noun [countable]
Word forms "swoop":
singular swoop plural swoops
1) a quick and sudden movement downwards through the air, made especially in order to attack or catch someone or something
2) a sudden and unexpected attack on a place, especially by police

He was arrested in a police swoop on a house in Stepney.

in/at one fell swoop — with one sudden action, or on one single occasion

In one fell swoop he's destroyed everything we've achieved in the last year.


English dictionary. 2014.

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  • Swoop — may mean:* Swoop (mascot), the mascot for the Philadelphia Eagles * Swoop (Transformer), several fictional characters in the Transformers series * A swoop bike * The Southwestern Ontario Organization of Parachutists * The red tailed hawk mascot… …   Wikipedia

  • swoop — ► VERB 1) move rapidly downwards through the air. 2) carry out a sudden raid. 3) (often swoop up) informal seize with a sweeping motion. ► NOUN ▪ an act of swooping. ● at (or in) one fell swoop Cf. ↑ …   English terms dictionary

  • Swoop — Swoop, n. A falling on and seizing, as the prey of a rapacious bird; the act of swooping. [1913 Webster] The eagle fell, . . . and carried away a whole litter of cubs at a swoop. L Estrange. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Swoop — Swoop, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Swooped}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Swooping}.] [OE. swopen, usually, to sweep, As. sw[=a]pan to sweep, to rush; akin to G. schweifen to rove, to ramble, to curve, OHG. sweifan to whirl, Icel. sveipa to sweep; also to AS.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Swoop — Swoop, v. i. 1. To descend with closed wings from a height upon prey, as a hawk; to stoop. [1913 Webster] 2. To pass with pomp; to sweep. [Obs.] Drayton. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • swoop — (v.) 1560s, to move or walk in a stately manner, apparently from a dialectal survival of O.E. swapan to sweep, brandish, dash, from P.Gmc. *swaipanan, from PIE root *swei to swing, bend, to turn. Meaning pounce upon with a sweeping movement first …   Etymology dictionary

  • swoop — swoop·er; swoop; …   English syllables

  • swoop — [v] descend quickly dive, fall, plummet, plunge, pounce, rush, slide, stoop, sweep; concepts 150,181 Ant. ascend …   New thesaurus

  • swoop — [swo͞op] vt. [ME swopen < OE swapan, to sweep along, rush, akin to Ger schweifen, ON sveipa: see SWIFT] to snatch or seize suddenly, with a sweeping movement: often with up, off, or away vi. to descend suddenly and swiftly, as a bird in… …   English World dictionary

  • Swoop — Este artículo o sección necesita referencias que aparezcan en una publicación acreditada, como revistas especializadas, monografías, prensa diaria o páginas de Internet fidedignas. Puedes añadirlas así o avisar a …   Wikipedia Español

  • swoop — swoop1 [swu:p] v [Date: 1500 1600; Origin: swope [i] to sweep (11 19 centuries), from Old English swapan; SWEEP1] 1.) if a bird or aircraft swoops, it moves suddenly down through the air, especially in order to attack something ▪ The eagle… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

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