Swamp Definition

swŏmp, swômp
swamped, swamps
noun
swamps
A piece of wet, spongy land that is permanently or periodically covered with water, characterized by growths of shrubs and trees; marsh; bog.
Webster's New World
A lowland region saturated with water.
American Heritage
A situation or place fraught with difficulties and imponderables.
A financial swamp.
American Heritage

A type of wetland that stretches for vast distances, and is home to many creatures who have adapted specifically to that environment.

Wiktionary
Antonyms:
verb
swamped, swamps
To plunge or sink in a swamp, deep water, etc.
Webster's New World
To flood or submerge with or as with water.
Webster's New World
To become swamped; sink in or as in a swamp.
Webster's New World
To overcome or overwhelm; ruin.
Swamped by debts.
Webster's New World
To sink (a boat) by filling with water.
Webster's New World
Antonyms:
adjective
Of or native to a swamp.
Webster's New World

Other Word Forms of Swamp

Noun

Singular:
swamp
Plural:
swamps

Origin of Swamp

  • From a fusion of Middle English swam (“swamp, muddy pool, bog, marsh", also "fungus, mushroom"), from Old English swamm (“mushroom, fungus, sponge") and Middle English sompe (“marsh, morass"), from Middle Dutch somp, sump (“marsh, swamp") or Middle Low German sump (“marsh, swamp"), from Old Saxon *sump (“swamp, marsh"); all from Proto-Germanic *sumpaz. Cognate with Dutch zwamp (“swamp, marsh, fen"), Middle Low German swamp (“sponge, mushroom"), Dutch zomp (“swamp, lake, marshy place"), German Sumpf (“swamp"), Swedish sump (“swamp"). Related also to Dutch zwam (“fungus, punk, tinder"), German Schwamm (“mushroom, fungus, sponge"), Swedish svamp (“mushroom, fungus, sponge"), Icelandic svampur, svepper (“fungus"), Gothic [script?] (swumsl, “a ditch"). Related to sump, swim.

    From Wiktionary

  • Perhaps of Low German origin

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

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