Swarm Definition

swôrm
swarmed, swarming, swarms
noun
swarms
A large number of bees, led by a queen, leaving one hive for another to start a new colony.
Webster's New World
Any large number of social insects moving in a group.
A swarm of ants.
Webster's New World
A colony of bees in a hive.
Webster's New World
A moving mass, crowd, or throng.
A swarm of onlookers.
Webster's New World
A number of similar geologic phenomena or features occurring closely within a given period or place.
A swarm of earthquakes.
American Heritage
verb
swarmed, swarming, swarms
To gather and fly off in a swarm.
Webster's New World
To leave a hive as a swarm. Used of bees.
American Heritage
To act as a swarm in surrounding, attacking, dealing with, etc.
To swarm the quarterback, researchers swarming a problem.
Webster's New World
To move, collect, be present, etc. in large numbers; throng; abound.
Webster's New World
To fill with a swarm; crowd; throng.
Webster's New World
Antonyms:

Other Word Forms of Swarm

Noun

Singular:
swarm
Plural:
swarms

Origin of Swarm

  • From Middle English swarm, from Old English swearm (“swarm, multitude"), from Proto-Germanic *swarmaz (“swarm, dizziness"), from Proto-Indo-European *swer- (“to buzz, hum"). Cognate with Scots swarm (“swarm"), Dutch zwerm (“swarm"), German Schwarm (“swarm"), Danish sværm (“swarm"), Swedish svärm (“swarm"), Icelandic svarmur (“tumult, swarm"), Latin susurrus (“whispering, humming"), Lithuanian surma (“a pipe"), Russian свирель (svirel', “a pipe, reed").

    From Wiktionary

  • From Middle English swarmen, swermen, from Old English swierman (“to swarm"), from Proto-Germanic *swarmijanÄ… (“to swarm"). Cognate with Scots swairm, swerm (“to swarm"), Dutch zwermen (“to swarm"), German schwärmen (“to swarm"), Danish sværme (“to swarm"), Swedish svärma (“to swarm").

    From Wiktionary

  • Middle English group of bees from Old English swearm

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • Origin unknown

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

Find Similar Words

Find similar words to swarm using the buttons below.

Words Starting With

Words Ending With

Unscrambles

swarm