swim
Word family
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++LDOCE 5++ldoce_325_gswim1 /swɪm/ ●●● S3 verb (past tense swam /swæm/, past participle swum /swʌm/, present participle swimming) 1 move through water 在水中移动 [intransitive, transitive]DSS to move yourself through water using your arms and legs 游水，游泳swim in We swam in the chilly water. 我们在冰冷的水里游泳。swim around/across etc She could swim across the lake. 她能游到湖对岸去。5 Let’s go swimming this afternoon.今天下午我们游泳去吧。 kids learning to swim the backstroke 学习仰泳的孩子们 She was the first woman to swim the Channel. 她是第一个游过英吉利海峡的女性。2 water animals 水中的动物 [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] when fish, ducks etc swim, they move around the water using their tails and fins, their feet etc 〔鱼、鸭子等在水里〕游动 Tropical fish swam slowly around in the tank. 热带鱼在鱼缸里慢慢地游来游去。3 not thinking/seeing properly 思维/视觉不清 [intransitive] a) CONFUSEDBALANCEif your head swims, you start to feel confused or that everything is spinning around 发晕，眩晕 My head was swimming after looking at that screen all day. 我整天盯着那屏幕，头都晕了。 b) CLEAR/EASY TO SEEif something you are looking at swims, it seems to be moving around, usually because you are ill, tired, or drunk 〔生病、疲劳或喝醉时眼前物体〕晃动，旋转 The numbers swam before my eyes. 那些数字在我眼前晃动。4 be swimming in something LIQUIDto be covered by a lot of liquid 浸 [泡]在某物里 potatoes swimming in thick gravy 浸在浓稠肉汁里的马铃薯5. swim against the tide/current etc DIFFERENTto do or say things which are different from what most people do or say, because you do not mind being different 反潮流，不随大溜 OPP swim with the tide → sink or swim at sink1(15)→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
swim• In the afternoons they sunbathed and swam.• You swim a few laps, lie in the sun, eat a burger.• Just as he was beginning to get worried in case she had gone too far, she turned and swam back.• Dad swims fifty laps in the pool every morning.• For a moment, tears swam in his eyes and he fought for control.• To swim in it is dangerous, unnecessary and probably obscene.• Slowly and carefully I swam round the dark walls of the castle.• I don't like swimming the breaststroke.• I didn't learn to swim until I was ten years old.• Steinkamp swam up to it and stuck her thumbs in her ears, seemingly making a childish face at it.swim around/across etc• Even birds need toys - fish must have some plants and rocks to swim around.• He swam across the lake towards the silted-up island in the middle where a pair of swans nested.• Silently, he went down into the water and swam across the moat.• People remembered his slogans, his grand speeches, his swim across the open river as an old man.• Six weeks earlier he had been able to swim around the raft wearing shorts and a shirt.• With powerful strokes, he swam across to the pillar, which was still elevated from my own adventure.• Suddenly, I was in a strange world where schools of curious small, yellow fish swam around us and between us.• For hours the magician swam around, with the normally chatty parrot perched silently on his shoulder.swim2 ●●○ noun [countable] 1 DSSa period of time that you spend swimming 游泳 Let’s go for a swim. 我们游泳去吧。2. in the swim (of things) informalMODERN knowing about and involved in what is happening in a particular situation 了解并融入某种形势的；不脱离潮流的Examples from the Corpus
swim• I was very disappointed to find that the family swim session has been canceled this year.• She should also have a 30-minute swim.• I took off my glasses, left them on my towel on the tiles, and went for a quick swim.go for ... swim• Go for a swim and lie in the sun and talk about their lives.• I pointed to the bathing lockers where we could leave our things and go for a swim.• Take her along when I go for a swim, have her over for lunch.• Time to write a poem, go for a swim, take diet pills.• Let's go for a swim.Origin swim1 Old English swimmanswim1 verbswim2 nounChinese
using to water through yourself Corpus your arms move
swim
swim1 S3 /swɪm/ 
verb (past tense swam /swæm/, past participle swum /swʌm/, present participle swimming)
swim in
We swam in the chilly water.
swim around/across etc
She could swim across the lake.
Let’s go swimming this afternoon.
kids learning to swim the backstroke
She was the first woman to swim the Channel.
2. WATER ANIMALS [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] when fish, ducks etc swim, they move around the water using their tails and fins, their feet etc:
Tropical fish swam slowly around in the tank.
3. NOT THINKING/SEEING PROPERLY [intransitive]
a. if your head swims, you start to feel confused or that everything is spinning around:
My head was swimming after looking at that screen all day.
b. if something you are looking at swims, it seems to be moving around, usually because you are ill, tired, or drunk:
The numbers swam before my eyes.
4. be swimming in something to be covered by a lot of liquid:
potatoes swimming in thick gravy
5. swim against the tide/current etc to do or say things which are different from what most people do or say, because you do not mind being different
OPP swim with the tide
⇨ sink or swim at sink1(15)
swim2 noun [countable]1. a period of time that you spend swimming:
Let’s go for a swim.
2. in the swim (of things) informal knowing about and involved in what is happening in a particular situation
| I |
verb (past tense swam /swæm/, past participle swum /swʌm/, present participle swimming) Language: Old English
Origin: swimman
1. MOVE THROUGH WATER [intransitive and transitive] to move yourself through water using your arms and legsOrigin: swimman
swim in
swim around/across etc
2. WATER ANIMALS [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] when fish, ducks etc swim, they move around the water using their tails and fins, their feet etc:
3. NOT THINKING/SEEING PROPERLY [intransitive]
a. if your head swims, you start to feel confused or that everything is spinning around:
b. if something you are looking at swims, it seems to be moving around, usually because you are ill, tired, or drunk:
4. be swimming in something to be covered by a lot of liquid:
5. swim against the tide/current etc to do or say things which are different from what most people do or say, because you do not mind being different
OPP swim with the tide
⇨ sink or swim at sink1(15)
| II |
noun [countable]1. a period of time that you spend swimming: 2. in the swim (of things) informal knowing about and involved in what is happening in a particular situation
When you wash yourself you can say that you bath ( orBrE bathe ( , but it is much more common to sayNAmE have a bath ( orBrE take a bath ( .NAmE 自己洗澡可用 bath（英式英语）或 bathe（美式英语），但一般说 have a bath（英式英语）或 take a bath（美式英语）。 You can also bath ( orBrE bathe ( another person, for example a baby.NAmE 给别人（如婴儿）洗澡亦可用 bath（英式英语）或 bathe（美式英语）。 You bathe a part of your body, especially to clean a wound.洗身体某部位（尤指清洗伤口）用 bathe。 When you go swimming it is old-fashioned to say that you bathe , and you cannot say that youbath ortake a bath . It is more common to useswim ,go for a swim ,have a swim orgo swimming .游泳旧时说 bathe，但不能说 bath 或 take a bath。较通用的说法为 swim、go for a swim、have a swim 或 go swimming ：◆ Let's go for a quick swim in the pool. 咱们去游泳池游会儿泳吧。 ◆ She goes swimming every morning before breakfast. 她每天早饭前去游泳。 What you wear for this activity is usually called a swimsuit orswimming trunks .游泳时穿的衣服通常叫做 swimsuit（游泳衣）或 swimming trunks（游泳裤）。 When you lie in the sun in order to go brown you sunbathe .沐日光浴为 sunbathe。
usually
especially