verb

swill

To rinse by sloshing liquid around.

She swills a little water around the bowl to rinse it.

Etymology

The Old English verb already means washing or rinsing. Modern swill emphasizes moving a quantity of liquid around freely.

More examples

  • I swill out the coffee pot before making another batch.
  • He swilled water around his mouth after brushing his teeth.
  • Swill the bucket with clean water before putting it away.

Forms

swill · swills · swilled · swilling

Similar words

rinse
Uses liquid to clean without necessarily sloshing it around.
wash
Cleans with liquid and may involve soap or scrubbing.
flush
Cleans by sending liquid through rather than sloshing it around.