noun
a small piece of soft material, often on a stick, used to clean a wound or collect a sample from the body
The nurse used a swab to clean the cut.
Common phrases & grammar
cotton swab · throat swab
American English
How to pronounce swabs
noun · verbB2
SWAHBZ
/swɑbz/
One syllable.
Related entry: swab
a small piece of soft material, often on a stick, used to clean a wound or collect a sample from the body
Practice out loudMeanings & examples
nountechnical
a sample taken from the body with a swab
The lab tested the throat swab.
Common phrases & grammar
test a swab · take a swab
verb
to clean a wound or part of the body with a swab
The nurse swabbed the wound.
Common phrases & grammar
swab a wound · swab the skin
verbtechnical
to take a sample from the body using a swab
The doctor swabbed the inside of her cheek.
Common phrases & grammar
swab the throat · swab the inside of the mouth
Related words & forms
The final consonant is doubled before -ed and -ing: swabbed, swabbing.