1
- an absorbent pad or piece of material used in surgery and medicine for cleaning wounds, applying medication, or taking specimens拭子; 药签。
1.1
- a specimen of a secretion taken with a swab for examination用拭子取下的分泌物试验标本:
he had taken throat swabs.
他已取了喉液的化验标本。
2
- a mop or other absorbent device for cleaning or mopping up a floor or other surface拖把。
(swabbed, swabbing)with obj.
1- clean (a wound or surface) with a swab用药签清洁(伤口); 用拖把清洁(表面):
swabbing down the decks
把甲板拖干净
swab a patch of skin with alcohol.
用药签蘸酒精清洁一块皮肤。
1.1
- with adverbial absorb or clear (moisture) with a swab用药签吸掉:
the blood was swabbed away.
血被药签吸干了。
词源
mid 17th cent. (in the sense 'mop for cleaning the decks'): back-formation from swabber 'sailor detailed to swab decks', from early modern Dutch zwabber, from a Germanic base meaning 'splash' or 'sway'.