Swell

swell
    adj 1: very good; "he did a bully job"; "a neat sports car";
           "had a great time at the party"; "you look simply
           smashing" [syn: {bang-up}, {bully}, {corking},
           {cracking}, {dandy}, {great}, {groovy}, {keen}, {neat},
           {nifty}, {not bad(p)}, {peachy}, {slap-up}, {swell},
           {smashing}]
    n 1: the undulating movement of the surface of the open sea
         [syn: {swell}, {crestless wave}]
    2: a rounded elevation (especially one on an ocean floor)
    3: a crescendo followed by a decrescendo
    4: a man who is much concerned with his dress and appearance
       [syn: {dandy}, {dude}, {fop}, {gallant}, {sheik}, {beau},
       {swell}, {fashion plate}, {clotheshorse}]
    v 1: increase in size, magnitude, number, or intensity; "The
         music swelled to a crescendo"
    2: become filled with pride, arrogance, or anger; "The mother
       was swelling with importance when she spoke of her son" [syn:
       {swell}, {puff up}]
    3: expand abnormally; "The bellies of the starving children are
       swelling" [syn: {swell}, {swell up}, {intumesce}, {tumefy},
       {tumesce}]
    4: come up (as of feelings and thoughts, or other ephemeral
       things); "Strong emotions welled up"; "Smoke swelled from it"
       [syn: {well up}, {swell}]
    5: come up, as of a liquid; "Tears well in her eyes"; "the
       currents well up" [syn: {well}, {swell}]
    6: cause to become swollen; "The water swells the wood"
    

Swell \Swell\, v. i. [imp. {Swelled}; p. p. {Swelled} or
   {Swollen}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Swelling}.] [AS. swellan; akin to
   D. zwellen, OS. & OHG. swellan, G. schwellen, Icel. svella,
   Sw. sv[aum]lla.]
   1. To grow larger; to dilate or extend the exterior surface
      or dimensions, by matter added within, or by expansion of
      the inclosed substance; as, the legs swell in dropsy; a
      bruised part swells; a bladder swells by inflation.
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   2. To increase in size or extent by any addition; to increase
      in volume or force; as, a river swells, and overflows its
      banks; sounds swell or diminish.
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   3. To rise or be driven into waves or billows; to heave; as,
      in tempest, the ocean swells into waves.
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   4. To be puffed up or bloated; as, to swell with pride.
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            You swell at the tartan, as the bull is said to do
            at scarlet.                           --Sir W.
                                                  Scott.
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   5. To be inflated; to belly; as, the sails swell.
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   6. To be turgid, bombastic, or extravagant; as, swelling
      words; a swelling style.
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   7. To protuberate; to bulge out; as, a cask swells in the
      middle.
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   8. To be elated; to rise arrogantly.
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            Your equal mind yet swells not into state. --Dryden.
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   9. To grow upon the view; to become larger; to expand.
      "Monarchs to behold the swelling scene!" --Shak.
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   10. To become larger in amount; as, many little debts added,
       swell to a great amount.
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   11. To act in a pompous, ostentatious, or arrogant manner; to
       strut; to look big.
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             Here he comes, swelling like a turkey cock. --Shak.
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Swell \Swell\, n.
   1. The act of swelling.
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   2. Gradual increase. Specifically:
      (a) Increase or augmentation in bulk; protuberance.
      (b) Increase in height; elevation; rise.
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                Little River affords navigation during a swell
                to within three miles of the Miami. --Jefferson.
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      (c) Increase of force, intensity, or volume of sound.
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                Music arose with its voluptuous swell. --Byron.
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      (d) Increase of power in style, or of rhetorical force.
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                The swell and subsidence of his periods.
                                                  --Landor.
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   3. A gradual ascent, or rounded elevation, of land; as, an
      extensive plain abounding with little swells.
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   4. A wave, or billow; especially, a succession of large
      waves; the roll of the sea after a storm; as, a heavy
      swell sets into the harbor.
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            The swell
            Of the long waves that roll in yonder bay.
                                                  --Tennyson.
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            The gigantic swells and billows of the snow.
                                                  --Hawthorne.
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   5. (Mus.) A gradual increase and decrease of the volume of
      sound; the crescendo and diminuendo combined; -- generally
      indicated by the sign.
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   6. A showy, dashing person; a dandy. [Slang]
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   {Ground swell}. See under {Ground}.

   {Organ swell} (Mus.), a certain number of pipes inclosed in a
      box, the uncovering of which by means of a pedal produces
      increased sound.

   {Swell shark} (Zool.), a small shark ({Scyllium ventricosum})
      of the west coast of North America, which takes in air
      when caught, and swells up like a swellfish.
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Swell \Swell\, v. t.
   1. To increase the size, bulk, or dimensions of; to cause to
      rise, dilate, or increase; as, rains and dissolving snow
      swell the rivers in spring; immigration swells the
      population.
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            [The Church] swells her high, heart-cheering tone.
                                                  --Keble.
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   2. To aggravate; to heighten.
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            It is low ebb with his accuser when such
            peccadilloes are put to swell the charge.
                                                  --Atterbury.
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   3. To raise to arrogance; to puff up; to inflate; as, to be
      swelled with pride or haughtiness.
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   4. (Mus.) To augment gradually in force or loudness, as the
      sound of a note.
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Swell \Swell\, a.
   Having the characteristics of a person of rank and
   importance; showy; dandified; distinguished; as, a swell
   person; a swell neighborhood. [Slang]
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   {Swell mob}. See under {Mob}. [Slang]
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511 Moby Thesaurus words for "swell":
      Babylonian, Beau Brummel, Brahman, Corinthian, OK, accent,
      accent mark, accrue, accumulate, ace-high, add to, advance,
      aggrandize, amplify, anthill, appreciate, archduke, aristocrat,
      armiger, augment, awake the dead, awe-inspiring, awful, bad, bag,
      balloon, bang-up, bar, barbaric, baron, baronet, barrow, be poised,
      beau, belly, belly out, bilge, billow, blade, blast, blast the ear,
      bloat, bloatedness, bloating, blood, blow up, blowing up,
      blue blood, boil, bonzer, boom, boost, bore, bosom, boss, bouge,
      boulevardier, brae, braw, break, breakers, breed, broaden,
      broadening, bug, build, build up, bulge, bulk, bulk out, bully,
      bump, bunion, but good, butte, cancel, carbuncle, character, chic,
      choir, chop, choppiness, chopping sea, classy, claviature,
      clothes-conscious, clotheshorse, cock, comb, comber, console, cool,
      corking, corn, cosmopolitan, count, coxcomb, crackerjack, crash,
      crescendo, custos, cyst, dab, dabster, daimio, dandy, dapper, dash,
      dashing, deafen, delicious, deluxe, develop, diastole, dilatation,
      dilate, dilation, din, direct, dirty water, distend, distension,
      dot, down, dressed to advantage, dressed to kill, dropsy, drumlin,
      ducky, dude, duke, dune, eagre, earl, ebb and flow, echo, edema,
      eighty-eight, elaborate, elegant, enlarge, enlargement, esquire,
      expand, expansion, expression mark, exquisite, extend, extension,
      extravagant, fab, fancy, fashion plate, fashionable, fatten, fell,
      fermata, fidget, fill out, fill the air, fine, fine and dandy,
      fine gentleman, fingerboard, first-class, first-rate, flatulence,
      flatulency, flatus, flip out, flutter, foothills, fop,
      freak out on, fribble, fullness, furuncle, gain, gain strength,
      gallant, gassiness, gear, genteel, gentleman, get ahead,
      get high on, glorious, glow, go pitapat, go up, goggle, grand,
      grand duke, grandee, grandiose, gravity wave, great, greaten,
      groovy, ground swell, grow, have the fidgets, have the shakes,
      hear, heave, heavy, heavy sea, heavy swell, hidalgo, hike, hike up,
      hill, hillock, hold, hot, huff, hummock, hunky-dory, imposing,
      impressive, increase, inflate, inflation, intensify, intensity,
      intumescence, ivories, jack-a-dandy, jackanapes, jam-up, jaunty,
      jerk, just dandy, keen, key signature, keyboard, keys, knob, knoll,
      lace-curtain, lady-killer, laird, landgrave, lead, lift, ligature,
      look big, lop, lord, lordling, loudishness, loudness,
      lounge lizard, lump, luxurious, macaroni, magnate, magnificent,
      magnifico, magnify, majestic, man-about-town, manual, margrave,
      mark, marquis, marvy, masher, master, mean, measure, meteorism,
      metronomic mark, modish, molehill, monticle, monticule, moor,
      mound, mount, multiply, mushroom, natty, neat, nifty, nob, nobby,
      noble, nobleman, notation, okay, optimate, organ manual,
      out of sight, overdevelop, overdistend, overdraw, overexpand,
      overextend, overstrain, overstretch, palatial, palpitate,
      palsgrave, pant, past master, patrician, pause, peachy,
      peachy-keen, peacock, peak, peal, pedals, peer, piano keys, pimple,
      plush, pock, pontificate, pooch, pop, popple, posh, pouch, pout,
      presa, princely, pro, proliferate, proud, puff, puff up, puffiness,
      puffing, pump, pump up, puppy, pustule, put on, put on airs,
      put on side, quake, quaver, quiver, raise, rarefy,
      rattle the windows, recherche, rend the air, rend the ears,
      resound, riffle, ring, ripping, ripple, rise, rise and fall,
      rising, ritz it, ritzy, rock the sky, roll, roller, rough water,
      round out, rum, run up, sand dune, scend, scrumptious, sea,
      sebaceous cyst, segno, seigneur, seignior, send, shake, sharp,
      shiver, shoot up, sign, signature, silk-stocking, slap-up, sleek,
      slur, smart, smash, smashing, smug, snazzy, snowball, soigne,
      soignee, solid, solo, something else, sonority, sonorousness,
      sophisticated, spark, spectacular, spiffing, spiffy, splendacious,
      splendid, splendiferous, split the eardrums, split the ears, sport,
      spread, spruce, squire, squirm, startle the echoes, stately,
      step up, strain, strengthen, stretch, stretching, stun, stunning,
      style-conscious, stylish, sufflate, sumptuous, super, superb,
      superfancy, superfine, surf, surge, surge of sound, swagger, swank,
      swanky, swell it, swell out, swell with emotion, swellage,
      swelling, swollenness, symbol, tempo mark, terrific, thoroughbred,
      thrill, thrill to, thrilling, throb, thunder, tidal bore,
      tidal wave, tide wave, tie, time signature, tingle,
      tingle with excitement, toss, toss and turn, tough, tremble,
      tricksy, trig, trim, trough, tsunami, tumble, tumefaction, tumefy,
      tumescence, tumidity, tumidness, tumor, turgescence, turgescency,
      turgidity, turgidness, turn on to, twist and turn, twitch, twitter,
      tympanism, tympany, undulate, undulation, up, upper-cruster,
      vinculum, viscount, volume, waldgrave, water wave, wave, wavelet,
      wax, well-dressed, well-groomed, wen, white horses, whitecaps,
      whiz, widen, wiggle, windiness, wizard, wonderful, wriggle,
      writhe