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Webster 1913 Edition

Swain

Swain

,
Noun.
[OE.
swain
,
swein
, Icel.
sveinn
a boy, servant; akin to Sw.
sven
, Dan.
svend
, AS.
swān
, OHG.
swein
.]
1.
A servant.
[Obs.]
Him behoves serve himself that has no
swain
.
Chaucer.
2.
A young man dwelling in the country; a rustic; esp., a cuntry gallant or lover; – chiefly in poetry.
It were a happy life
To be no better than a homely
swain
.
Shakespeare
Blest
swains
! whose nymphs in every grace excel.
Pope.

Webster 1828 Edition

Swain

SWAIN

, n.
1.
A young man.
2.
A country servant employed in husbandry.
3.
A pastoral youth. [It is used chiefly in this sense, and in poetry.]
Blest swains! whose nymphs in every grace excel.

Definition 2024

Swain

Swain

See also: swain

English

Proper noun

Swain

  1. A surname​.

swain

swain

See also: Swain

English

Noun

swain ‎(plural swains)

  1. (obsolete) A young man or boy in service; a servant.
  2. (obsolete) A knight's servant; an attendant.
  3. (archaic) A country labourer; a countryman, a rustic.
  4. (poetic) A rural lover; a male sweetheart in a pastoral setting.

Derived terms

Anagrams

Etymology

From Middle English swayn, swain, sweyn, swein, from Old English swein, from Old Norse sveinn, from Proto-Germanic *swaina-, *swainaz ‎(“relative, young man, servant”), from Proto-Indo-European *se- ‎(“aside, separated, apart”). Cognate with Icelandic sveinn ‎(“boy, lad, servant”), Swedish sven ‎(“swain, servant”), Low German Sween, dialectal German Schwein, Old English swān ‎(“swineherd, lad”).

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /sweɪn/
  • Rhymes: -eɪn

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