Swamp Definition

swŏmp, swômp

swamped, swamps

noun

swamps

A piece of wet, spongy land that is permanently or periodically covered with water, characterized by growths of shrubs and trees; marsh; bog.

Webster's New World

A lowland region saturated with water.

American Heritage

A situation or place fraught with difficulties and imponderables.

A financial swamp.

American Heritage

A type of wetland that stretches for vast distances, and is home to many creatures who have adapted specifically to that environment.

Wiktionary

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

verb

swamped, swamps

To plunge or sink in a swamp, deep water, etc.

Webster's New World

To flood or submerge with or as with water.

Webster's New World

To become swamped; sink in or as in a swamp.

Webster's New World

To overcome or overwhelm; ruin.

Swamped by debts.

Webster's New World

To sink (a boat) by filling with water.

Webster's New World

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

adjective

Of or native to a swamp.

Webster's New World

Synonyms:

Other Word Forms of Swamp

Singular:

swamp

Plural:

From a fusion of Middle English swam (“swamp, muddy pool, bog, marsh", also "fungus, mushroom"), from Old English swamm (“mushroom, fungus, sponge") and Middle English sompe (“marsh, morass"), from Middle Dutch somp, sump (“marsh, swamp") or Middle Low German sump (“marsh, swamp"), from Old Saxon *sump (“swamp, marsh"); all from Proto-Germanic *sumpaz. Cognate with Dutch zwamp (“swamp, marsh, fen"), Middle Low German swamp (“sponge, mushroom"), Dutch zomp (“swamp, lake, marshy place"), German Sumpf (“swamp"), Swedish sump (“swamp"). Related also to Dutch zwam (“fungus, punk, tinder"), German Schwamm (“mushroom, fungus, sponge"), Swedish svamp (“mushroom, fungus, sponge"), Icelandic svampur, svepper (“fungus"), Gothic [script?] (swumsl, “a ditch"). Related to sump, swim.

From Wiktionary
Perhaps of Low German origin

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition