swarm

¹

[ swawrm ]

noun

1. a body of honeybees that emigrate from a hive and fly off together, accompanied by a queen, to start a new colony.
2. a body of bees settled together, as in a hive.
3. a great number of things or persons, especially in motion.

   Synonyms: host, horde, mass

4. Biology. a group or aggregation of free-floating or free-swimming cells or organisms.
5. Geology. a cluster of earthquakes or other geologic phenomena or features.

verb (used without object)

1. to fly off together in a swarm, as bees.
2. to move about, along, forth, etc., in great numbers, as things or persons.
3. to congregate, hover, or occur in groups or multitudes; be exceedingly numerous, as in a place or area.
4. (of a place) to be thronged or overrun; abound or teem:

   The beach swarms with children on summer weekends.

5. Biology. to move or swim about in a swarm.

verb (used with object)

1. to swarm about, over, or in; throng; overrun.
2. to produce a swarm of.

swarm

²

[ swawrm ]

verb (used with or without object)

1. to climb by clasping with the legs and hands or arms and drawing oneself up; shin.

swarm

¹

/ swɔːm /

noun

1. a group of social insects, esp bees led by a queen, that has left the parent hive in order to start a new colony
2. a large mass of small animals, esp insects
3. a throng or mass, esp when moving or in turmoil

verb

1. intr (of small animals, esp bees) to move in or form a swarm
2. intr to congregate, move about or proceed in large numbers
3. whenintr, often foll by with to overrun or be overrun (with)

   the house swarmed with rats

4. tr to cause to swarm

swarm

²

/ swɔːm /

verb

1. whenintr, usually foll by up to climb (a ladder, etc) by gripping with the hands and feet

   the boys swarmed up the rigging

Other Words From

• swarmer noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of swarm¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English swearm; cognate with German Schwarm swarm, Old Norse svarmr “tumult”; the verb is derivative of the noun

Origin of swarm²

First recorded in 1540–50; origin uncertain

Word History and Origins

Origin of swarm¹

Old English swearm; related to Old Norse svarmr uproar, Old High German swaram swarm

Origin of swarm²

C16: of unknown origin

Synonym Study

See crowd ¹.

Example Sentences

Three days later, swarms of men answered Lincoln’s request and rallied for war.

From Washington Post

They swarmed into the Capitol chanting “Hang Mike Pence” when he refused.

From Washington Post

The defense swarmed, and Butler struggled to get open looks and seemed to be affected by Georgetown’s length.

From Washington Post

In late 2017, Sestito set out to study how this metal-poor swarm moves by writing code to analyze the upcoming Gaia results.

From Quanta Magazine

After using this ability to defeat Rhino, the area is swarmed by the armed security units of Roxxon, an energy corporation looking to provide “clean energy” to Harlem.

From Washington Post

He was prepared to swarm the island—not directly, but through Brooklyn.

From The Daily Beast

Cars swarm dangerously around them on this two-lane road carved, literally, into the side of a chain of mountains.

From The Daily Beast

The Stalwarts hoped to swarm the convention and force a challenge to the delegate roll.

From The Daily Beast

In an ancient stone carving, warriors brandishing shields and swords swarm over the columned facade of a grand temple.

From The Daily Beast

When he struck, Brown wrote, “The bees will begin to swarm.”

From The Daily Beast

There 171 are a great many streams at Port Royal, and among them three or four where the fish swarm in the spawning season.

From Project Gutenberg

His own home at Flekkefjord was not a happy one; his father drank, and there was a swarm of small children.

From Project Gutenberg

The sepoys usually swarm out hell-for-leather and we rush to meet them.

From Project Gutenberg

For he made numbers of men swarm out of Persia, that have fought against us, and the holy city.

From Project Gutenberg

But now the newcomers began to swarm into our yard, asking H. if he had coin to sell for greenbacks.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• bevy
• flock
• herd
• horde
• mob
• throng