Swapping

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. The process of exchanging two or more elements, often to fulfill needs or preferences in a given situation
2. The act of giving one thing and taking another in return to achieve a mutual exchange
3. Changing places or items between parties or within a set to alter arrangements or ownership

Etymology: The most striking fact about "swapping" is that the exchange was once imagined as a blow. Middle English "swappen" meant "to hurl" or "to strike," and the idea behind it was of two people slapping hands together to seal a deal. The verb probably developed from Old English "swāpan," meaning "to swoop," with a secondary form "swappian" giving the Middle English word. The noun "swap," meaning a blow or a lash from a whip, came first, and the verb grew out of it. The first recorded use of the verb dates to 1620. Its relatives are violent words too: German "schwappen" means "to slosh," and Old Norse "svipa" meant "to whip" or "to look around," which links it to the modern English "swipe."

Synonyms: exchanging, interchanging, trading, bartering, switching

Antonyms: keeping, retaining, withholding