swap

Everyday

1. To swap is to give one thing and get another in return. tree →
2. To swap places or seats is for two people to change places. tree →
3. A swap is the act of swapping, or the thing you get. tree →

In the lessons

things change hands; each gives and gets, so totals may change or stay the same; in school: swapping stickers, cards or lunch with friends; in maths: swapping the order of numbers in adding or multiplying does not change the answer; phrases: «swap places», «swap over», «a fair swap»

Examples

• Tom swaps 3 stickers for 2 of Ben's. tree →
• They swap seats. tree →
• She swapped 4 marbles for 1 big one. tree →
• How many stickers does Tom have after the swap? tree →
• Can I swap my apple for your banana? tree →
• We swapped books after we finished reading. tree →
• Swap the numbers: 4 + 7 is the same as 7 + 4. tree →
• That was a fair swap. tree →
• The two players swapped shirts after the match. tree →

Note

Each side: minus what is given, plus what is got. Trap: an equal swap leaves the counts the same. Past: swapped (double p). Swapping numbers works for + and ×, not for − and ÷.