azure-breasted bird (Porphyrio bellus); — called also goollema. (b) An Australian water crake, or rail
(Porzana Tabuensis); — called also little swamp hen. (c) The European purple gallinule. — Swamp
honeysuckle (Bot.), an American shrub (Azalea, or Rhododendron, viscosa) growing in swampy places,
with fragrant flowers of a white color, or white tinged with rose; — called also swamp pink. — Swamp
hook, a hook and chain used by lumbermen in handling logs. Cf. Cant hook. — Swamp itch. (Med.)
See Prairie itch, under Prairie. — Swamp laurel (Bot.), a shrub (Kalmia glauca) having small leaves
with the lower surface glaucous. — Swamp maple (Bot.), red maple. See Maple. — Swamp oak
(Bot.), a name given to several kinds of oak which grow in swampy places, as swamp Spanish oak
swamp white oak swamp post oak — Swamp ore (Min.), bog ore; limonite. — Swamp partridge
(Zoöl.), any one of several Australian game birds of the genera Synoicus and Excalfatoria, allied to the
European partridges. — Swamp robin (Zoöl.), the chewink. — Swamp sassafras (Bot.), a small
North American tree of the genus Magnolia (M. glauca) with aromatic leaves and fragrant creamy-white
blossoms; — called also sweet bay. — Swamp sparrow (Zoöl.), a common North American sparrow
(Melospiza Georgiana, or M. palustris), closely resembling the song sparrow. It lives in low, swampy
places. — Swamp willow. (Bot.) See Pussy willow, under Pussy.
Swamp
(Swamp) v. t. [imp. & p. p. Swamped ; p. pr. & vb. n. Swamping.]
1. To plunge or sink into a swamp.
2. (Naut.) To cause (a boat) to become filled with water; to capsize or sink by whelming with water.
3. Fig.: To plunge into difficulties and perils; to overwhelm; to ruin; to wreck.
The Whig majority of the house of Lords was swamped by the creation of twelve Tory peers.
J. R.
Green.
Having swamped himself in following the ignis fatuus of a theory.
Sir W. Hamilton. Swamp
(Swamp), v. i.
1. To sink or stick in a swamp; figuratively, to become involved in insuperable difficulties.
2. To become filled with water, as a boat; to founder; to capsize or sink; figuratively, to be ruined; to be
wrecked.
Swampy
(Swamp"y) a. Consisting of swamp; like a swamp; low, wet, and spongy; as, swampy land.
Swan
(Swan) n. [AS. swan; akin to D. zwaan, OHG. swan, G. schwan, Icel. svanr, Sw. svan, Dan.
svane; and perhaps to E. sound something audible.]
1. (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of large aquatic birds belonging to Cygnus, Olor, and allied
genera of the subfamily Cygninæ. They have a large and strong beak and a long neck, and are noted
for their graceful movements when swimming. Most of the northern species are white. In literature the
swan was fabled to sing a melodious song, especially at the time of its death.
The European white, or mute, swan which is most commonly domesticated, bends its neck in an S-
shaped curve. The whistling, or trumpeting, swans of the genus Olor do not bend the neck in an S-
shaped curve, and are noted for their loud and sonorous cry, due to complex convolutions of the windpipe.
To this genus belong the European whooper, or whistling swan (Olor cygnus), the American whistling
swan and the trumpeter swan The Australian black swan (Chenopis atrata) is dull black with white on
the wings, and has the bill carmine, crossed with a white band. It is a very graceful species and is often
domesticated. The South American black-necked swan (Sthenelides melancorypha) is a very beautiful
and graceful species, entirely white, except the head and neck, which are dark velvety seal-brown. Its
bill has a double bright rose-colored knob.
