noun
swain
SWAYN/sweɪn/
A young man who is a lover or suitor.
The shy swain offers a bouquet while asking the young woman on a date.
Etymology
The word for a boy or attendant also came to mean a country laborer. In pastoral poetry, that rural young man became a lover or wooer.
More examples
- The ballad followed a swain pursuing his sweetheart.
- She rejected the boastful swain.
- A hopeful swain brought flowers to the cottage.
Forms
swain · swains