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 /

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

swarm

²

/ 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

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

C16: of unknown origin

Origin of swarm²

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

Synonym Study

See crowd ¹.

Example Sentences

The Eagles have a lot of ways to beat you on offense — especially with Saquon Barkley — and their defense is swarming.

From Los Angeles Times

In February, a crowds swarmed a Waymo car in San Francisco’s Chinatown, scrawling graffiti, smashing windows and setting the vehicle on fire.

From Los Angeles Times

I had no chance: the Block Party crowd swarmed her.

From Los Angeles Times

The crowd swarms the car, people begin jumping on the front windshield, the video shows.

From Los Angeles Times

The swarms of people walking the streets of New York invite several passersby and onlookers to join out of sheer curiosity.

From Salon

Related Words

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