swoop

To swoop is to move or arc downward through the air rapidly, or to come in quickly and seize something, or to carry out an unexpected attack.

(verb)

  1. When a bird arcs quickly down from the sky to catch a worm, the downward motion the bird does is an example of a time when the bird swoops.
  2. When you burst into a room to arrest a drug dealer, this is an example of a time when you swoop into the room.

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See swoop in Webster's New World College Dictionary

transitive verb

to snatch or seize suddenly, with a sweeping movement: often with up, off, or away

Origin: ME swopen < OE swapan, to sweep along, rush, akin to Ger schweifen, ON sveipa: see swift

intransitive verb

to descend suddenly and swiftly, as a bird in hunting; pounce or sweep (down or upon)

noun

the act of swooping or pouncing; sudden, violent descent

See swoop in American Heritage Dictionary 4

verb swooped, swoop·ing, swoops
verb, intransitive
  1. To move in a sudden sweep: The bird swooped down on its prey.
  2. To make a rush or an attack with or as if with a sudden sweeping movement. Often used with down: The children swooped down on the pile of presents.
verb, transitive
To seize or snatch in or as if in a sudden sweeping movement.
noun
The act or an instance of swooping.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English swopen, to sweep along

Origin: , from Old English swāpan, to sweep, swing

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