swish

Everyday

1. To move quickly through the air with a soft hissing sound: "The horse swished its tail." tree →
2. A swish is the sound or the movement itself. tree →
3. In basketball, a shot that goes straight through the net without touching the rim. tree →
4. To swish someone is to hit them with a thin stick or cane. tree →

In the lessons

In stories, swish is a sound word: a cape swishes, a sword swishes through the air. In everyday life you may swish water round your mouth after brushing teeth. Phrases: swish its tail, with a swish.

Examples

• The cow swished its tail to keep the flies away. tree →
• Her long skirt swished as she danced. tree →
• The sword went swish through the air. tree →
• Swish the water around your mouth and spit it out. tree →
• He shot the ball and it was a perfect swish. tree →
• The curtains swished open. tree →
• They pursued him with a savagery which he could not distinguish from hatred, and they swished him well whenever they got the chance. tree →

Note

Regular verb: swish, swished; third person "swishes". It is an onomatopoeia: the word sounds like the noise it names, like "whoosh" and "swoosh". Good for adding sound to stories.