SWAB, noun A mop for cleaning floors; on board of ships, a large mop or bunch or old rope yarn, used to clean the deck and cabin. SWAB, verb transitive [supra.] To clean with mop; to wipe when wet or after washing; as, to swab the deck of a ship.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI