Swab /(?)/

imp. & p. p. Swabbed; p. pr. & vb. n. Swabbing

1. To clean with a mop or swab; to wipe when very wet, as after washing; as, to swab the desk of a ship.

1. A kind of mop for cleaning floors, the desks of vessels, etc., esp. one made of rope-yarns or threads.
2. A bit of sponge, cloth, or the like, fastened to a handle, for cleansing the mouth of a sick person, applying medicaments to deep-seated parts, etc.
3. An epaulet. (Naut.) [Sailor's Slang]
4. A cod, or pod, as of beans or pease. [Obs.]
5. A sponge, or other suitable substance, attached to a long rod or handle, for cleaning the bore of a firearm.