swipes

American  

[swahyps] / swaɪps /

noun

(used with a plural verb)

1. poor, watery, or spoiled beer.

2. malt liquor in general, especially beer and small beer.

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swipes British  

/ swaɪps /

plural noun

1. slang beer, esp when poor or weak

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Etymology

Origin of swipes

1780–90; noun plural use of swipe to drink down at one gulp, variant of sweep ¹

Example Sentences

The card duopoly makes money not just from credit card transactions, but also from debit card payments, earning roughly the same fee on both types of swipes.

From Barron's • Jan. 13, 2026

Stomach gnawing and hands slightly shaky, I loaded up on ephemera for fancy paninis, held together with swipes of giardiniera mayo, and splurged on some pastel-hued botanical sodas for drinking straight from the can.

From Salon • Jan. 1, 2026

Some groan-inducing puns aside, Rushdie’s comic touches are deftly managed, appearing as sharp satirical swipes or witty repartee.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 4, 2025

Sliwa jumped into the fray, taking swipes at the other two candidates over their records in government.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 23, 2025

The hotel mirror is perfectly clean, but for the echo of a few rag swipes in the top left corner.

From "How It Went Down" by Kekla Magoon