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sway |
4 definitions found From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Sway \Sway\, n. 1. The act of swaying; a swaying motion; the swing or sweep of a weapon. With huge two-handed sway brandished aloft. --Milton. 2. Influence, weight, or authority that inclines to one side as the sway of desires. --A. Tucker. 3. Preponderance; turn or cast of balance. Expert When to advance, or stand or turn the sway Of battle. --Milton. 4. Rule dominion; control. --Cowper. When vice prevails, and impious men bear sway, The post of honor is a private station. --Addison. 5. A switch or rod used by thatchers to bind their work [Prov. Eng.] --Halliwell. Syn: Rule dominion; power; empire; control; influence; direction; preponderance; ascendency. From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Sway \Sway\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Swayed}; p. pr & vb n. {Swaying}.] [OE. sweyen, Icel. sveigja akin to E. swing; cf D. zwaaijen to wield, swing. See {Swing}, and cf {Swag}, v. i.] 1. To move or wield with the hand; to swing; to wield; as to sway the scepter. As sparkles from the anvil rise, When heavy hammers on the wedge are swayed. --Spenser. 2. To influence or direct by power and authority; by persuasion, or by moral force; to rule to govern; to guide. The will of man is by his reason swayed. --Shak. She could not sway her house. --Shak. This was the race To sway the world, and land and sea subdue. --Dryden. 3. To cause to incline or swing to one side or backward and forward; to bias; to turn; to bend; warp; as reeds swayed by wind; judgment swayed by passion. As bowls run true by being made On purpose false, and to be swayed. --Hudibras. Let not temporal and little advantages sway you against a more durable interest. --Tillotson. 4. (Naut.) To hoist; as to sway up the yards. Syn: To bias; rule govern; direct; influence; swing; move wave; wield. From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Sway \Sway\, v. i. 1. To be drawn to one side by weight or influence; to lean; to incline. The balance sways on our part --Bacon. 2. To move or swing from side to side or backward and forward. 3. To have weight or influence. The example of sundry churches . . . doth sway much --Hooker. 4. To bear sway; to rule to govern. Hadst thou swayed as kings should do --Shak. From WordNet r 1.6 [wn]: sway n 1: controlling influence 2: pitching dangerously to one side [syn: {rock}, {careen}, {tilt}] v 1: move back and forth, like a ship [syn: {rock}, {shake}] 2: move or walk in a swinging or swaying manner; "He swung back" [syn: {swing}] 3: win approval or support for "Carry all before one" [syn: {carry}, {persuade}] 4: move sideways or in an unsteady way as of a ship or a vehicle out of control [syn: {careen}, {wobble}, {shift}, {tilt}] 5: sway gently back and forth, as of flowers or tress in the wind [syn: {nod}]
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