Swinge

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /swɪnd͡ʒ/

Definitions

1. To deliver a powerful blow or strike, often with a sweeping motion
2. To oscillate or move in a rhythmic, back-and-forth manner
3. To strike something with great force ; to move back and forth in a steady rhythm

Etymology: Old English "swenġan" meant "to dash" or "to cause to swing," a sense close to the motion of a flail or a swinging stick. Its Proto-West Germanic ancestor, "*swangijan," was the causative of a verb meaning "to swing," so the word began as a description of making something move through the air rather than of hitting anything at all. Striking was a later extension of that motion. Middle English "swengen" carried the sense "to strike" forward, and the modern verb keeps that meaning: to beat or lash with force. The word's history is a short one by comparison with many English verbs, and it has stayed close to its physical origin, still tied to the swing of an arm or a weapon.

Synonyms: scorch, burn, char

Antonyms: cool, soothe