to clean with a mop or swab; to wipe when very wet, as after washing; as, to swab the desk of a ship.-a kind of mop for cleaning floors, the desks of vessels, etc., esp. one made of rope-yarns or threads.-a bit of sponge, cloth, or the like, fastened to a handle, for cleansing the mouth of a sick person, applying medicaments to deep-seated parts, etc.-an epaulet.-a cod, or pod, as of beans or pease.-a sponge, or other suitable substance, attached to a long rod or handle, for cleaning the bore of a firearm.