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# swan

«swan» in Mova's school dictionary: **a large water bird, usually white, with a long curved neck** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

noun (a swan, swans); verb (swan, swans, swanned, swanning — informal, UK)

### meaning for a pupil

1) A swan is a large water bird, usually white, with a long curved neck. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/swan/#m1)

2) (informal, UK) To swan around or off is to go somewhere in a relaxed, carefree way, often while others are working. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/swan/#m2)

### sense in the lessons

In nature lessons swans are birds that live on rivers and lakes; young swans are cygnets, a male is a cob and a female a pen. In stories, like «The Ugly Duckling», the swan stands for beauty and grace. In British informal speech «swanning off» shows annoyance at someone who enjoys themselves.

### examples

- Two white swans glided across the lake. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/swan/#x1)
- A baby swan is called a cygnet. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/swan/#x2)
- Black swans live in Australia. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/swan/#x3)
- Don't feed swans bread; give them peas or seeds. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/swan/#x4)
- The ugly duckling grew up to be a beautiful swan. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/swan/#x5)
- Swans can be fierce if you go near their nest. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/swan/#x6)
- He swanned off to the beach while we cleaned up. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/swan/#x7)
- She swans around as if she owns the place. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/swan/#x8)

### note

Plural: swans. Past of the verb: swanned. Safety: swans protect their young and can hurt people who come too close. The verb is informal and British.

### In the corpora

- [Swans, many parrots and albatrosses keep the same partner for years, and some albatross pairs stay together for 50 years or more.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/93-the-aviary-the-walk-through-tropical-house/11/)
- [In spring a mallard mother marches a wobbly line of ducklings across the path while a swan hisses at anyone near its nest.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/337-the-park-pond-through-the-year-ducks-coots-swans-dragonflies-and-ice/1/)
- [Cartoon ducks gobble whole loaves of bread and cartoon swans break people's arms.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/337-the-park-pond-through-the-year-ducks-coots-swans-dragonflies-and-ice/4/)
- [Real ducks are better off with peas and oats, and a swan just wants you to give it space.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/337-the-park-pond-through-the-year-ducks-coots-swans-dragonflies-and-ice/5/)
- [Toad: «Me complain of that beautiful, that heavenly vision ... that swan, that sunbeam, that thunderbolt! ...](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/32-willows-ch2-part4-the-wreck-and-the-new-craze/34/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «swan» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/swan/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.