Swotted

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Reviewed or studied material thoroughly, often to prepare for an exam
2. Engaged in concentrated and diligent learning over a short period to gain understanding
3. Devoted focused effort to mastering information, usually shortly before a test

Etymology: "Swotted" is the past tense of "swot", and the story behind the verb is literally about sweating. The noun-turned-verb grew from an older English word, Old English "swāt", meaning perspiration or sweat, which is also the ancestor of the modern "sweat". Over centuries, the word survived in regional speech, where "swot" came to describe the hard, drudging labour that makes a person sweat. The sense of relentless work spread through schoolrooms, where it came to mean studying with grim, focused effort. The image is of someone bent over books until their brow runs wet, the physical toil of learning transferred to the mind. Its informal, slightly mocking edge in British English reflects that origin in hard, unglamorous graft.

Synonyms: studied, crammed

Antonyms: neglected, ignored