light, machine, etc. off/on by pressing a button or switch A / /f ( Eft   ) : Please switch the lights

off as you leave.  A 7 o 0 How do

you switch this thing on?      ;(§ £*37 ? .switch 'over

| .switch sth<-*'over (BrE) to change stations on a radio or television ^; tkMM

switch-back /'switjbaek/ noun 1 a road or railway/ railroad track that has many sharp bends as it goes up a steep hill, or one that rises and falls steeply many times (

2 {NAmlE) a 180 degree bend in a road that is going up a steep hill (  ) Hi.

$$     , 180 IS ^ 3 (old-fashioned, BrE) = roller

COASTER

switch-blade /'switjbleid/ noun (especially NAmE)

= FLICK KNIFE

switch-board /'switjboid; NAmE -boird/ noun the central part of a telephone system used by a company, etc., where telephone calls are answered and put through (= connected) to the appropriate person or department; the people who work this equipment ( Eft : a switchboard operator a        0 Call the switchboard and ask for exten­sion 410. .#&nEfti£fij&#i,    o

Hundreds of fans jammed the switchboard for over an hour.

.switched 'on adj. 1 ~ (to sth) aware of new things that are happening /J Iff ^   W iA iR ; ‘M ft" H 6(1We’re

trying to get people switched on to the benefits of healthy eating. $yi;7^AikAlC;tiR|iJMIitA^WM:o 0 an organization for switched-on young people —yMJnfj4£$£ A £@JK 2 made to feel interested and excited ftj;  People get really switched

on by this music, j&f

'switch-hitter noun (in baseball #5$) a player who can hit with the bat on either side of their body fg/E

'switch-over noun a change from one system, method, policy, etc. to another (    AA,    ) WM,

swivel /'swrvl/ noun, verb

m noun (often used as an adjective          a device

used to connect two parts of an object together, allowing one part to turn around without moving the other $$ A; if; $e  A: a swivel chair

(= one on which the seat turns around without moving the base) — picture <=> chair

» verb (-II-, US -I-) [usually +adv./prep.] 1 to turn or make sth turn around a fixed central point (

Em spin : [VN] She swivelled the chair around to face them. MJEjf 7ffilA43lrMf]o [also V] 2 to turn or move your body, eyes or head around quickly to face another direction    ) 0QG3

swing: [V] He swivelled around to look at her.

A##Mo [also vn]

swizz (also swiz) /swiz/ noun [usually sing.] (BrE, informal) something unfair or disappointing JJi M ; ^AASW ^: What a swizz! JE-4* A A H!

swiz zle stick /'swizl stik/ noun a stick used to remove the bubbles from sparkling drinks such as cham­pagne (

swollen o-w /'swaolon/ adj.

1                  (of a part of the body    A) larger than

normal, especially as a result of a disease or an injury

swollen glands    o Her

eyes were red and swollen from crying. M At# W Bl X £1 Xtto 2 (of a river M#[t) containing more water than normal $fc7jcf$;  — see also swell v.

Swoon /swum/ verb [V] 1 ~ (over sb) to feel very excited, emotional, etc. about sb that you think is sexually attractive, so that you almost become unconscious M ( 3£A ) He’s used to having women

swooning over him.     $JSL1f T„

(old-fashioned) to become unconscious ff if ; # #J Ei’lgl faint ► swoon noun [sing.] (old-fashioned) : to go into a swoon HfS;

047

swoop /swuip/ verb, noun

2                 verb [V] 1 [usually +adv./prep.] (of a bird or plane

#1) to fly quickly and suddenly downwards, especially in order to attack sb/sth (      ) ftTMH1,

<7 ES33 dive : The aircraft swooped down over the buddings. 2 ~ (on sb/sth)

(especially of police or soldiers X^bA) to visit or attack sb/sth suddenly and without warning

3                 noun 1 an act of moving suddenly and quickly through

the air in a downward direction, as a bird does ( A# [ft ) ftT®}^,      Em dive 2 ~ (on sth/sb) an act of

arriving somewhere or attacking sth/sb in a way that is sudden and unexpected

ETI71 raid : Large quantities of drugs were found during a police swoop on the star’s New York home, f

AJjaTA*#n°Po

M see fell adj.

swoosh /swuiJV verb [V +adv./prep.] to move quickly through the air in a way that makes a sound OffWlMifi Cars and trucks swooshed past.

►swoosh noun [sing.]

swop = SWAP

sword /so:d; NAmE soird/ noun a weapon with a long metal blade and a handle Ml 71: to draw/sheathe a sword (= to take it out/put it into its cover) ; jC&l }® A IS IETO1 put sb to the 'sword (old-fashioned or literary) to kill sb with a sword M $i] ZE X A a/the sword of 'Damocles (literary) a bad or unpleasant thing that might happen to you at any time and that makes you feel worried or frightened       ( f^ta^A

IWIMWM) Ham From the legend in which Damocles had to sit at a meal at the court of Dionysius with a sword hanging by a single hair above his head. He had praised Dionysius’ happiness, and Dionysius wanted him to understand how quickly happiness can be lost, fig g 0 X M (Damocles) &i t is # w <>

#A^

ifi0 turn swords into 'ploughshares (literary) to stop fighting and return to peaceful activities I# ia] A ^ ; it X X A 5. $; M X — more at cross v. , double- edged, pen n.

'sword dance noun a Scottish dance in which people dance between and over swords that are placed on the ground )

sword-fish /'sordfij; NAmE 'soird-/ noun [C, U] {pi. sword­fish) a large sea fish with a very long thin pointed upper jaw fill.;

sword-play /'soidplei; NAmE 'soird-/ noun [u] 1 the sport or skill of fencing A M ;          2 clever and amusing