What does swab mean?
A swab is a small piece of cotton, gauze, or similar material used to clean a surface, apply or remove liquid, or collect a specimen. In medicine, swab commonly refers to a cotton-tipped applicator or to a specimen obtained with one, as in a throat swab or swab test. The verb means to clean or treat something by rubbing it with a swab or similar implement, often removing moisture or applying a substance. Outside medical contexts, the word can also describe a cleaning tool or the act of wiping and treating a surface. Its clear association with controlled cleaning and sample collection gives it a practical, technical, and sometimes procedural tone. Although many people use the word for cotton swabs used in personal care, the term has a particularly established role in clinical, laboratory, forensic, and hygiene settings.
A small pad or piece of absorbent material, especially cotton or gauze, used for cleaning, applying or removing a substance, or taking a specimen.
"The laboratory technician labelled the swab before sending it for analysis."
To clean or treat an area by rubbing it with a swab or similar implement, removing moisture or applying a substance.
"The nurse swabbed the cut before applying a plaster."
The plural is swabs; it is commonly used for individual cleaning pads, applicators, or specimens.
"The nurse replaced the contaminated swabs with fresh ones."
A cotton swab is simple, but the same basic tool can clean a wound, collect a medical specimen, or scrub a crime scene.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does swab come from?
The origin of the word is uncertain. It is recorded in English in the early modern period, and its development is associated with Middle Dutch and other continental European forms whose precise relationship remains debated. The modern meaning developed from the idea of an implement or piece of material used for wiping and cleaning.
Related word forms
How swab is actually used
The word is especially common in medical, laboratory, cleaning, and law-enforcement contexts. In British English, a cotton-tipped bud for cleaning the ears is often called a cotton bud; swab can suggest a more technical or general-purpose use.
Easily confused with swab
A swab is a small absorbent pad or piece of material used for cleaning or taking a specimen; a swab as a verb means to clean or treat an area with one.