Definition of "swab"

noun:
- A small piece of soft, absorbent material, such as gauze, used to clean wounds, apply medicine, or take samples of body fluids. Often attached to a stick or wire to aid access.
  
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- A sample taken with a swab (1).
  
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- A piece of material used for cleaning or sampling other items like musical instruments or guns.
  
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- A mop, especially on a ship.
  
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- A sailor; see swabby.
  
  from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
verb:
- To use a swab on something, or clean something with a swab.
  
  from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License