What is "swash"

Swash \Swash\, n. [Cf. Swash, v. i., Squash, v. t.] (Arch.) An oval figure, whose moldings are oblique to the axis of the work.
--Moxon.

Swash plate (Mach.), a revolving circular plate, set obliquely on its shaft, and acting as a cam to give a reciprocating motion to a rod in a direction parallel to the shaft.

Swash \Swash\, a. [Cf. Swash, v. i., Squash, v. t.] Soft, like fruit too ripe; swashy. [Prov. Eng.]
--Pegge.

Swash \Swash\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Swashed; p. pr. & vb. n. Swashing.] [Probably of imitative origin; cf. Sw. svasska to splash, and, for sense 3, Sw. svassa to bully, to rodomontade.]

1. To dash or flow noisily, as water; to splash; as, water swashing on a shallow place.

2. To fall violently or noisily. [Obs.]
   --Holinshed.

3. To bluster; to make a great noise; to vapor or brag.

Swash \Swash\, n.

1. Impulse of water flowing with violence; a dashing or splashing of water.

2. A narrow sound or channel of water lying within a sand bank, or between a sand bank and the shore, or a bar over which the sea washes.

3. Liquid filth; wash; hog mash. [Obs.]

4. A blustering noise; a swaggering behavior. [Obs.]

5. A swaggering fellow; a swasher.

1530s, "the fall of a heavy body or blow," probably imitative. It also meant "pig-wash, filth, wet refuse" (1520s) and may have been imitative of the sound of water dashing against solid objects. The meaning "a body of splashing water" is first found 1670s; that of "a dashing or splashing" is from 1847. Swash-letters (1883) are italic capitals with flourished projections.

1580s, "spill or splash (water) about," 1530s, possibly from wash (v.) with an intensifying s-, or imitative of the sound of water dashing against solid objects. Related: Swashed; swashing.

1. Soft, like overripe fruit; swashy; squashy. n. 1 The water that washes up on shore after an incoming wave has broken 2 (context typography English) a long, protruding ornamental line or pen stroke found in some typefaces and styles of calligraphy. 3 A narrow sound or channel of water lying within a sand bank, or between a sand bank and the shore, or a bar over which the sea washes. 4 (context obsolete English) Liquid filth; wash; hog mash. 5 (context obsolete English) A blustering noise. 6 (context obsolete English) swaggering behaviour. 7 (context obsolete English) A swaggering fellow; a swasher. 8 (context architecture English) An oval figure, whose mouldings are oblique to the axis of the work. v

2. 1 (context intransitive English) To swagger; to bluster and brag. 2 (context intransitive English) To dash or flow noisily; to splash. 3 (context intransitive English) To fall violently or noisily.

1. n. the movement or sound of water; "the swash of waves on the beach"

2. v. make violent, noisy movements

3. dash a liquid upon or against; "The mother splashed the baby's face with water" [syn: spatter, splatter, plash, splash, splosh]

4. show off [syn: boast, tout, shoot a line, brag, gas, blow, bluster, vaunt, gasconade]

5. act in an arrogant, overly self-assured, or conceited manner [syn: swagger, bluster]

Swash, or forewash in geography,(the white part of the water) is known as a turbulent layer of water that washes up on the beach after an incoming wave has broken. The swash action can move beach materials up and down the beach, which results in the cross-shore sediment exchange. The time-scale of swash motion varies from seconds to minutes depending on the type of beach (see Figure 1 for beach types). Greater swash generally occurs on flatter beaches. The swash motion plays the primary role in the formation of morphological features and their changes in the swash zone. The swash action also plays an important role as one of the instantaneous processes in wider coastal morphodynamics.

There are two approaches that describe swash motions: (1) swash resulting from the collapse of high-frequency bores (f>0.05 Hz) on the beachface; and (2) swash characterised by standing, low-frequency (f<0.05 Hz) motions. Which type of swash motion prevails is dependent on the wave conditions and the beach morphology and this can be predicted by calculating the surf similarity parameter εb (Guza & Inman 1975)

$$\epsilon b = \frac{4 \pi ^2Hb}{2gT^2tan^2 \beta},$$
Where Hb is the breaker height, g is gravity, T is the incident-wave period and tan β is the beach gradient. Values εb>20 indicate dissipative conditions where swash is characterised by standing long-wave motion. Values εb<2.5 indicate reflective conditions where swash is dominated by wave bores.

A swash is a typographical flourish, such as an exaggerated serif, terminal, tail, entry stroke, etc., on a glyph. The use of swash characters dates back to at least the 16th century, as they can be seen in Ludovico Vicentino degli Arrighi's La Operina, which is dated 1522. As with italic type in general, they were inspired by the conventions of period handwriting. Arrighini's designs influenced designers in Italy and particularly in France.

Swash may refer to:

• Swash, the water that washes up on shore after an incoming wave has broken
• Swash (brand), a range of laundry products produced by Procter & Gamble
• Swash (typography), a typographical flourish on a glyph
• SWASH, water, sanitation and hygiene in schools (a term used in development cooperation)

People with the surname Swash:

• Joe Swash (born 1982), British actor
• Shana Swash (born 1990), British actress

Swash is a brand of laundry products manufactured by Procter & Gamble (P&G) and sold in the United States.