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)

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.
When you burst into a room to arrest a drug dealer, this is an example of a time when you swoop into the room.

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

To move in a sudden sweep: The bird swooped down on its prey.
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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