swan-upping

[ swon-uhp-ing ]

noun

, British.

1. the taking up of young swans to mark them with nicks on the beak for identification.
2. an annual expedition for this purpose on the Thames.

swan-upping

noun

1. the practice or action of marking nicks in swans' beaks as a sign of ownership
2. the annual swan-upping of royal cygnets on the River Thames

Word History and Origins

Origin of swan-upping¹

1800–10; swan ¹ + upping ( up + -ing ¹ )

Word History and Origins

Origin of swan-upping¹

C16: from up (in the archaic sense: to catch and mark a swan)

Example Sentences

Swan-upping data is now used to monitor the health of the Thames’s swan population, and before they set out each morning the uppers meet with local schoolchildren to teach them about swans and river conservation.

From New York Times

It used to be a way of seeing how many swans were around that might eventually grace the royal banquet table, but these days the ancient English tradition of swan-upping, a census of the birds, is part of a conservation effort.

From Reuters

In 2009 the Alaska became a Royal Barge for the day when the Queen went aboard to watch a swan-upping ceremony.

From BBC

Upping, up′ing, n. the same as swan-upping or -marking.

From Project Gutenberg

Scotch Andrew Cockburn, chief engineer of the Mauretania that held the Atlantirecord for 22 years had one consolation: Last week there was Swan-upping on the Thames.

From Time Magazine Archive