swarm

1 of 3

noun

ˈswȯrm 

1

a

: a great number of honeybees emigrating together from a hive in company with a queen to start a new colony elsewhere

b

: a colony of honeybees settled in a hive

2

a

: a large number of animate or inanimate things massed together and usually in motion : throng

swarms of sightseers

a swarm of locusts

a swarm of meteors

b

: a number of similar geologic features or phenomena close together in space or time

a swarm of dikes

an earthquake swarm

swarm

2 of 3

verb (1)

swarmed; swarming; swarms

intransitive verb

1

: to form and depart from a hive in a swarm

2

a

: to move or assemble in a crowd : throng

b

: to hover about in the manner of a bee in a swarm

3

: to contain a swarm : teem

swarming with bugs

transitive verb

1

: to fill with a swarm

2

: to beset or surround in a swarm

players swarming the quarterback

swarmer noun

swarm

3 of 3

verb (2)

swarmed; swarming; swarms

intransitive verb

: to climb with the hands and feet

specifically : shin

swarm up a pole

transitive verb

: to climb up : mount

Synonyms

Noun

• army
• bike [chiefly Scottish]
• cram
• crowd
• crush
• drove
• flock
• herd
• horde
• host
• legion
• mass
• mob
• multitude
• press
• rout
• scrum
• throng

Verb (1)

• crowd
• flock
• mob
• throng

Verb (2)

• clamber
• climb
• scrabble
• scramble

Examples of swarm in a Sentence

Noun

a swarm of tourists descends upon the island every summer

Verb (1)

meeting little resistance, the pirates swarmed the decks of the merchant ship

at this time of year that Mexican resort swarms with college students on spring break

Verb (2)

one of the physical challenges had competitors swarming over a pile of logs

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

In a test held in the Gulf of Mexico in 2017, several Warthogs fired at a swarm of invading armed boats, while in September 2023 two Warthogs conducted a combat air patrol in the Gulf of Oman. —Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2024

But this week, the company unveiled an attack drone with a 50-mile range, capable of hunting in swarms and destroying armored vehicles. —Danielle Chemtob, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024

Verb

More than 1,000 Palestinian militants followed, breaching the border barricade on motorcycles and jeeps, swarming from boats on the sea, and paragliding in from the air. —Suzanne Maloney, Foreign Affairs, 10 Dec. 2024

In December 2023, drones swarmed the Langley Air Force Base in Virginia for 17 days, according to a Wall Street Journal report, which added that similar sightings had been made this year near an Air Force base in California. —Alyce McFadden, New York Times, 8 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English swearm; akin to Old High German swaram swarm and probably to Latin susurrus hum

Verb (2)

origin unknown

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Verb (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Phrases Containing swarm

• swarm spore

Kids Definition

swarm

1 of 2 noun

ˈswȯ(ə)rm 

1

: a great number of honeybees leaving together from a hive with a queen to start a new colony elsewhere

also : a colony of honeybees settled in a hive

2

: a large number grouped together and usually in motion

swarms of sightseers

a swarm of meteors

swarm

2 of 2 verb

1

: to form and leave a hive in a swarm

2

: to move or gather in a swarm : throng

spectators swarmed into the stadium

3

: to contain or fill with a swarm