free

From Middle English free, fre, freo, from Old English frēo (“free”), from Proto-West Germanic *frī, from Proto-Germanic *frijaz (“beloved, not in bondage”), from Proto-Indo-European *priHós (“pleased, loved”), from *preyH- (“to please, love”). Related to friend.
cognates, etc
Germanic cognates include West Frisian frij (“free”), Dutch vrij (“free”), Low German free (“free”), German frei (“free”), Danish, Swedish and Norwegian fri (“free”).
Other cognates include Sanskrit प्रिय (priyá-, “beloved”).
Germanic and Celtic are the only Indo-European language branches in which the PIE word with the meaning of "dear, beloved" acquired the additional meaning of "free" in the sense of "not in bondage". This was an extension of the idea of "characteristic of those who are dear and beloved", in other words friends and tribe members (in contrast to unfree inhabitants from other tribes and prisoners of war, many of which were among the slaves – compare the Latin use of liberi to mean both "free persons" and "children of a family").
The verb comes from Middle English freen, freoȝen, from Old English frēon, frēoġan (“to free; make free”), from Proto-West Germanic *frijōn, from Proto-Germanic *frijōną, from Proto-Indo-European *preyH-, and is cognate with German freien, Dutch vrijen, Czech přát, Serbo-Croatian prijati, Polish sprzyjać.

inh

The team won the 200 meters free relay.

(swimming, informal) Abbreviation of freestyle.


lane

From Middle English lane, lone, from Old English lanu (“a lane, alley, avenue”), from Proto-West Germanic *lanu, from Proto-Germanic *lanō (“lane, passageway”).
Cognate with Scots lone (“cattle-track, by-road”), West Frisian leane, loane (“a walkway, avenue”), Dutch laan (“alley, avenue”), German Low German Lane, Laan (“lane”), Swedish lån (“covered walkway encircling a house”), Icelandic lön (“a row of houses”).

cog

a swimming lane

(swimming) A similar division of a swimming pool using lines of coloured floats to keep swimmers apart.


dive

en-verb

dive (third-person singular simple present dives, present participle diving, simple past dived or (chiefly U.S. and Canada) dove, past participle dived or (chiefly U.S. and Canada, nonstandard) dove or (dialectal) doven)

dives (present singular third-person)
diving (participle present)
dived (past)
dove (Canada US past)
dived (participle past)
dove (Canada US nonstandard participle past)
doven (dialectal participle past)
dive (infinitive)

From Middle English diven, duven, from the merger of Old English dȳfan (“to dip, immerse”, transitive weak verb) (from Proto-Germanic *dūbijaną) and dūfan (“to duck, dive, sink, penetrate”, intransitive strong verb) (past participle ġedofen). Cognate with Icelandic dýfa (“to dip, dive”), Low German bedaven (“covered, covered with water”). See also deep, dip.

cog

The Curtii bravely dived the gulf of flame.

1668, John Denham, The Progress of Learning:

The green lane is the school-boy's friend, / Low leaves his quarrel apprehend, / […] / The brimming brook invites a leap, / He dives the hollow, climbs the steep.

1867, Ralph Waldo Emerson, “May-Day”, in May-Day and Other Pieces, Boston, Mass.: Ticknor and Fields, →OCLC, page 20:

(transitive) To explore by diving; to plunge into.


fly

From Middle English flye, flie, from Old English flȳġe, flēoge (“a fly”), from Proto-Germanic *fleugǭ (“a fly”), from Proto-Indo-European *plewk- (“to fly”). Cognate with Scots flee, Saterland Frisian Fljooge, Dutch vlieg, German Low German Fleeg, German Fliege, Danish flue, Norwegian Bokmål flue, Norwegian Nynorsk fluge, Swedish fluga, Icelandic fluga.

you attract more flies with honey than vinegar

you can catch more flies with honey than vinegar

you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar

you catch more flies with honey than vinegar

you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar

(swimming) The butterfly stroke (plural is normally flys).


back

front

antonym(s) of “side opposite the front or useful side”

front

antonym(s) of “that which is farthest away from the front”

From Middle English bak, from Old English bæc, from Proto-West Germanic *bak, from Proto-Germanic *baką, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeg- (“to bend”). The adverb represents an aphetic form of aback.
Compare Middle Low German bak (“back”), from Old Saxon bak, and West Frisian bekling (“chair back”), Old High German bah, Swedish and Norwegian bak. Cognate with German Bache (“sow [adult female hog]”).

agter

break one's arm patting oneself on the back

could be written on the back of a postage stamp

could fit on the back of a postage stamp

you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours


swim

en-verb

swim (third-person singular simple present swims, present participle swimming, simple past swam or (archaic) swum, past participle swum)

swims (present singular third-person)
swimming (participle present)
swam (past)
swum (archaic past)
swum (participle past)
swim (infinitive)

From Middle English swymmen, from Old English swimman (“to swim, float”) (class III strong verb; past tense swamm, past participle geswummen), from Proto-West Germanic *swimman, from Proto-Germanic *swimmaną (“to swoon, lose consciousness, swim”), from Proto-Indo-European *swem(bʰ)- (“to be unsteady, move, swim”).
Cognates
Cognate with Scots sweem, soom (“to swim”), Saterland Frisian swimme (“to swim”), West Frisian swimme (“to swim, float”), Dutch zwemmen (“to swim”), German schwimmen (“to swim”), Norwegian Bokmål and Danish svømme (“to swim”), Swedish simma (“to swim”), Norwegian Nynorsk symja (“to swim”).

der

For exercise, we like to swim laps around the pool.

I want to swim the 200-yard breaststroke in the finals.

Sometimes he thought to swim the stormy main.

1697, Virgil, “The Tenth Book of the Æneis”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:

(transitive) To traverse (a specific body of water, or a specific distance) by swimming; or, to use a specific swimming stroke; or, to compete in a specific swimming event.


swim

I'm going for a swim.

She had a quick swim in the bay.

C'mon everybody! C'mon in!
Bobby's goin' to show you how to do the swim.

1964, “C'mon and Swim”, Thomas Coman and Sylvester Stewart (Sly Stone) (lyrics), performed by Bobby Freeman:

A dance or dance move of the 1960s in which the arms are moved in imitation of various swimming strokes, such as freestyle, breaststroke, etc.

With the road ahead now clear, Mann […] is plunging back into the swim of business in a hurry.

(figurative) The flow of events; being in the swim of things.


butterfly

From Middle English buterflie, butturflye, boterflye, from Old English buterflēoge, equivalent to butter + fly. Cognate with Dutch botervlieg, German Butterfliege (“butterfly”). The name may have originally been applied to butterflies of a yellowish color, and/or reflected a belief that butterflies ate milk and butter (compare German Molkendieb (“butterfly”, literally “whey-thief”) and Low German Botterlicker (“butterfly”, literally “butter-licker”)), or that they excreted a butter-like substance (compare Dutch boterschijte (“butterfly”, literally “butter-shitter”)). Compare also German Schmetterling from Schmetten (“cream”), German Low German Bottervögel (“butterfly”, literally “butter-fowl”). More at butter, fly.
An alternate theory suggests that the first element may have originally been Old English butor- (“beater”), a mutation of bēatan (“to beat”), but this would not explain the cognates in other languages or the other names formed with milk products.
Superseded non-native Middle English papilion (“butterfly”) borrowed from Old French papillon (“butterfly”).

cog

Any of several plane curves that look like a butterfly; see Butterfly curve (transcendental) and Butterfly curve (algebraic).

One potential butterfly could be JFK having another son the year after the POD instead of a daughter.

(alternate history) A random change in an aspect of the timeline seemingly unrelated to the primary point of divergence, resulting from the butterfly effect.

perhosen siivenisku

random change working through butterfly effect


butterfly

en-verb

butterfly (third-person singular simple present butterflies, present participle butterflying, simple past and past participle butterflied)

butterflies (present singular third-person)
butterflying (participle present)
butterflied (participle past)
butterflied (past)

Pearl Harbor not happening would've butterflied Taylor Swift.

(transitive, of the point of divergence of an alternate history scenario) To cause events after the point of divergence to not happen as they did in real history, and people conceived after the point of divergence to not exist in recognizable form, due to the random variations introduced by the butterfly effect.


stroke

The noun is derived from Middle English strok, stroke (“blow from a weapon, cut”), from Old English strāc, from Proto-West Germanic *straik, from Proto-Germanic *straikaz (“stroke”), from Proto-Indo-European *streyg- (“to rub, stroke; to shear; to strike”).
Sense 3.6.2.2 (“the oblique, slash, or virgule (‘/’)”) is a contraction of oblique stroke, a variant of oblique which was originally used in telegraphy.
The verb is derived from the noun.
Cognates
* German Streich (“stroke”)
* Middle Low German strēk (“stroke, trick, prank”)
* Scots strak, strake, straik (“blow, stroke”)

isku

one of a series of beats or movements against a resisting medium, by means of which movement through or upon it is accomplished

ход

single movement or thrust of a part (such as a piston) of a machine that moves back and forth; length of this movement

خَطّ

line or mark made on a surface by an implement for drawing, writing, etc.

butterfly stroke

Old Applegate, in the stern, just set and looked at me, and Lord James, amidship, waved both arms and kept hollering for help. I took a couple of everlasting big strokes and managed to grab hold of the skiff's rail, close to the stern.

1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter VII, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y., London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC, pages 165–166:

One of a series of beats or movements against a resisting medium, by means of which movement through or upon it is accomplished.

(swimming) A movement of the arms and legs which propels a swimmer through the water; a specific combination of such movements, constituting a swimming style.

загребване

specific combination of movements of the arms and legs which, when repeated, causes the swimmer to advance through the water; manner in which such movements are made

-sim n (as a suffix in compounds for swimming styles)


stroke

en-verb

stroke (third-person singular simple present strokes, present participle stroking, simple past and past participle stroked)

strokes (present singular third-person)
stroking (participle present)
stroked (participle past)
stroked (past)

(swimming) To strike (the water) with one's arms and legs when swimming.

(swimming) To swim by making co-ordinated movements with the arms and legs.


breast

From Middle English brest, from Old English brēost, from Proto-West Germanic *breust, from Proto-Germanic *breustą, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰrews- (“to swell”). Compare West Frisian boarst, Danish bryst, Swedish bröst; cf. also Dutch borst, German Brust.

der

hope springs eternal in the human breast


double

PIE word
 *dwóh₁
From Middle English double, from Old French doble, double, from Latin duplus (“twofold”). Doublet of doppio and duple.

In 1996, Michael Johnson achieved a double by winning both the 200 and 400 meter dashes.

(sports, chiefly swimming and track) The feat of winning two events in a single meet or competition.


swimming

en-noun

swimming (countable and uncountable, plural swimmings)

From swim (“to be dizzy”, verb) + -ing (suffix forming gerunds).

affix

Then I take my pipe of Tabacco, sitting close by a warme fire, the space of halfe an houre and more, vntill the giddinesse and swimming in my head be past, and the medicine also haue done it feate : then I vse to gargle my mouth with a cuppe of beere, well warmed with a toste.

1602, A New and Short Defense of Tabacco: with the effectes of the same: and of the right vse thereof, London: Clement Knight, “Rule”, unnumbered page:

But when the worms are killed with the aforesaid medicines, you must driue them out without delay : for there proceedeth a vicious exhalation from them, which both destroyeth appetite, and hurteth digestion, and being lifted vpward, it causeth swimmings, and other euils.

1624, Philip Barrough, The Method of Physick, Contaning the Cavses, Signes, and Cvres of Inward Diseases in Mans Body, From the Head to the Foote: […], 6th edition, London: Richard Field, page 134:

[The Speedwell] doth also wonderfully helpe the memory, and to ease all turnings and swimmings, and other paines of the head, and as it is sayd helpeth women to become fruitfull, that were barren[.]

1640, John Parkinson, Theatrum Botanicum: The Theater of Plants. Or, an Herball of Large Extent: […], London, page 552:

Swimmings of the head and intestinal pains seemed the prelude of dissolution.

1869, William Chambers, Robert Chambers, Chambers's Miscellany of Instructive & Entertaining Tracts, page 2:


IM

en-noun

IM (countable and uncountable, plural IMs)

"When I first joined ACAC (Ames Cyclones Aquatics Club), we were swimming together in a lane and I ended up going behind her," Hala said. "We were doing IM (individual medley) in warm-up and I was on her feet and I was like I'm an IMer, can I go ahead of you? She told me no."

2021 August 11, Joe Randleman, “Magnificent Meghan: Donald ready to defend state swimming titles for Ames High”, in Ames Tribune:

individual medley
individual medley#English

(swimming) Initialism of individual medley.


lap

From Middle English lappen (“to fold, wrap”) from earlier wlappen (“to fold, wrap”), from Old English *wlappan, *wlæppan, *wlappian (“to wrap”), from Proto-Germanic *wlapp-, *wrapp- (“to wrap, fold, roll up, turn”), from Proto-Indo-European *werb- (“to bend, turn”).
Cognate with Middle Dutch lappen (“to wrap up, embrace”), dialectal Danish vravle (“to wind”), Old Italian goluppare (“to wrap, fold up”) (from Germanic). Doublet of wrap. Also related to envelop, develop.
The sense of "to get a lap ahead (of someone) on a track" is from 1847, on notion of "overlapping." The noun meaning "a turn around a track" (1861) is from this sense.

cog

to swim two laps

(swimming) The traversal of one length of the pool, or (less commonly) one length and back again.

塘

swimming: the traversal of one length of the pool


flipper

From flip + -er. Compare Saterland Frisian Flappert (“flipper, wing”).

In marine mammals such as whales (or other aquatic animals such as sea turtles), a wide flat, limb adapted for swimming.

A wide, flat, paddle-like rubber covering for the foot, used in swimming.

плавник

A flat lever in a pinball machine, triggered by the player to strike the ball and keep it in play.

(cricket) A type of ball bowled by a leg spin bowler, which spins backwards and skids off the pitch with a low bounce.


freestyle

en-noun

freestyle (countable and uncountable, plural freestyles)

自由式

(sports) A sports event where competitors can choose their own method of participation.

(swimming) A swimming event in which the contestants may choose any stroke.

(swimming, by extension) The swimming stroke commonly referred to as the front crawl or the Australian crawl.


banana hammock

From the similarity in appearance of the protrusion of an occupied hammock and the bulge of the genitals in these tight-fitting briefs.

She had wanted me to wear Speedos – an orange banana hammock – but I had put on camouflaged cutoffs and a tank top.

2008, Mario Acevedo, The Undead Kama Sutra, EOS, published 2008, →ISBN, page 105:

I should go to the other extreme and don a Speedo. Might it be awesome to see my classmates' expressions as I strut out sporting a banana hammock?

2010, Josh Berk, The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin, Knopf, published 2010, →ISBN, page 19:

I'd acquiesced gracefully, wondering wickedly what it would take to get him to ditch the board shorts for a banana hammock. The man would look mouthwateringly delicious in a Speedo.

2012, Carter Quinn, The Way Back, Dreamspinner Press, published 2012, →ISBN, page 10:

(slang) A pair of skimpy swim briefs for men.


bathing costume

bathing costume (plural bathing costumes)

(chiefly British, dated) The clothes that one wears when bathing in the sea or a swimming pool, especially the one-piece garment worn by women and girls.


swimming costume

swimming costume (plural swimming costumes)

(UK, Ireland) the garments that one wears when bathing in the sea or a swimming pool, especially the one-piece garment worn by women and girls.


bathing suit

(US, Canada) A tight-fitting garment worn for swimming, especially the one piece garment worn by women and girls; a swimsuit.


swimsuit

Appendix:Roget MICRA thesaurus/Class II § 225. Clothing -- the closest included

Put on your swimsuit and let's go for a swim.


bikini

→ Norwegian Bokmål: bikini

From French bikini, named after the place name Bikini, from English Bikini, the name of the atoll where the United States tested nuclear weapons in July 1946; it was reckoned that the bathing suit would cause as much excitement as a nuclear bomb. This name was originally from German Bikini, the colonial name of the atoll as part of German New Guinea, and this was derived from Marshallese Pikinni.

Cole has little but scorn for France's famed Bikini bathing suits. Explains he: " French girls, have short legs. Swimsuits have to be hiked up at the sides to make their legs look longer. "

A brief two-piece bathing suit worn by women, especially one that exposes the midriff and navel.


monokini

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-monokini.wav

Borrowed from French monokini or simply mono- + -kini, punningly reinterpreting the first syllable of "bikini" as the prefix bi-.

[Psylocke is] wearing a mix between a monokini and cut-out swimwear, a wardrobe change[.]

2014, Joseph J. Darowski, The Ages of the X-Men: Essays on the Children of the Atom, →ISBN:

A one-piece swimsuit, which may cover both the chest and the crotch (as contrasted with a bikini, which consists of two pieces).


medley

From Middle English medle, from Anglo-Norman medlee, Old French medlee, from the feminine past participle of early Medieval Latin misculō (“to mix”). Compare meddle. Doublet of melee.

(swimming) A competitive swimming event that combines the four strokes of butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle.


sunga

I suspiciously open one eye and there's Edson, kneeling next to me and flashing a smile as white as his sunga.

2021, Aliénor Salmon, Finding Rhythm: An International Dance Journey:

A narrow, rectangular men's swimsuit to cover the genitals and posterior, popular in Brazil.


skinny dipping

She took off all her clothes and went skinny dipping in the river.

Swimming in the nude, as opposed to with a swimsuit.


upsweep

(swimming) The upward motion of a swimmer's arm.


armband

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-armband.wav

(swimming) One of a pair of inflatable plastic bands, normally worn on the upper arms, to help the wearer (often a child) float in water and learn to swim.

braçalet flotador

one of a pair of inflatable plastic bands to help the wearer float in water and learn to swim


breaststroke

A swimming stroke in which the swimmer lies face down, the arms being swept forward, outward and back under the water and the legs are kicked like a frog's

개구리헤엄 (gaeguriheeom, literally “frog swimming”)

개구리헤염 (gaeguriheyeom, literally “ditto”)


backstroke

(swimming) A stroke swum lying on one's back, while rotating both arms through the water as to propel the swimmer backwards.

(bellringing) The pull on the tail of the rope that swings the bell through a full circle (compare handstroke)


backstroke

en-verb

backstroke (third-person singular simple present backstrokes, present participle backstroking, simple past and past participle backstroked)

backstrokes (present singular third-person)
backstroking (participle present)
backstroked (participle past)
backstroked (past)


dog paddle

dog paddle (third-person singular simple present dog paddles, present participle dog paddling, simple past and past participle dog paddled)

dog paddles (present singular third-person)
dog paddling (participle present)
dog paddled (participle past)
dog paddled (past)

He pretended that an alligator was behind him and swam desperately. He passed one spot and then, laboriously, another, dog-paddling.

1938, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, chapter 11, in The Yearling:

Last week, as the latest escapee dog paddled his way to freedom across the Spandau ship canal, the Grepos machine-pistoled him down with seven slugs. Sinking in mid stream, he became the 58th victim—and the first dog—to die since 1961 while trying to enter West Berlin from the East German democratic workers’ paradise.

1965 April 23, “Dream of a Bigger Bone”, in Time:

They were of course distantly related to Eliza and me, too, since our Vermont ancestors had once been content to dogpaddle endlessly, so to speak, in the same tiny genetic pool.

1976, Kurt Vonnegut, chapter 2, in Slapstick, Delacorte Press, page 31:


doggy paddle

The swimming method used by dogs and other four-legged mammals, with head above water and front legs vigorously paddling.


swimming pool

Fortunately, a waterfall thrums down the nearby mountains and forms a natural swimming pool at the entrance.

2009, Sean Harvey, The Rough Guide to the Dominican Republic, →ISBN, page 321:

A pool of water used for swimming, usually one which has been artificially constructed.

piscina)

alberca f (Mexican standard usage - Southeastern Mexico


synchronized swimming

A swimming event where swimmers perform a synchronised routine of dance moves in the water.


sidestroke

A swimming stroke swum on the swimmer's side.


diving

en-noun

diving (countable and uncountable, plural divings)

The action of the verb to dive in any sense.

(corresponding to senses of "to dive" translated by "plonger") plongement m

The sport of jumping into water, often acrobatically.

Descending below the surface of the water to interact with the environment.

(soccer, sports) The act of pretending to be tripped or brought to the ground by an opposition player in order to secure an undeserved penalty.


jammer

2001, Newsgroups: rec.sport.swimming, Mon, 09 Jul 2001 21:39:52 GMT, Subject: Re: Laying out in Myrtle Beach
As for me, I wear a dragsuit to the pool, and regular trunks to the beach. In competitions, I wear speedos, but am more comfortable in "jammers", which is a half-bodysuit.

In early May, I was starting to swim in jammers which I was not accustomed to or comfortable wearing. I have always thought that wearing spandex is an earned privelege,^([sic]) not a birthright.

2006, David West, 140.6 - One Man's Journey: The Metamorphosis from Casual Runner, page 62:

Enter jammers in the mid-1990s. Jammers have the look of biking shorts with skin-tight Lycra covering the thigh to mid-thigh or the knee, depending on the cut.

2007, Janet Evans, Janet Evans' Total Swimming, page 5:

A kind of form-fitting swimwear used by athletes, resembling shorts.

A device (e.g. a jumar) which will slide along a rope in one direction but not the other, used in rock-climbing, caving etc.

(roller derby) A player who attempts to score points by making their way past other players.


swimmer

From Middle English swimmere, equivalent to swim + -er. The dumplings are so called because they are often served in stew.


wetsuit

A close fitting, insulating garment usually made from neoprene or similar material designed to keep one warm during activities on or under water.


front crawl

/ˌfɹʌntˈkɹɑːl/

A style of swimming where the swimmer is face-down in the water and moves the arms in alternating overhead strokes.


back crawl

/ˈbækˌkɹɔːl/

A style of swimming using the backstroke.


swimming trunks

After class, Nick changed into his swimming trunks and dived into the pool.

A pair of specifically designed shorts worn by men and boys for swimming or bathing.

مايوه رِجالي

a pair of specifically designed shorts worn for swimming or bathing


budgie smugglers

A jocular reference to a man's tight-fitting swimming costume or swimsuit appearing as if he has a budgerigar concealed inside it, i.e. his bulging genitals.

Alternative form: budgie-smugglers

Roughly, the rule goes: if you have just swum, are planning to swim soon or are reasonably proximate to a place where others are swimming, then your budgie smugglers are perfectly acceptable.

2006 July 9, Annabel Crabb, “UK learns rules of Texas hold 'em”, in The Sydney Morning Herald:

"Mr Baillieu has popped out of the water in his budgie-smugglers, but he doesn't reckon that climate change is a problem," Garrett scoffed. "I mean, give me a break."

2006 November 23, Stuart Rintoul, “Bracks's walk was on the wild side”, in The Australian:

“If you think that men in budgie smugglers don’t look good, well all the blokes in this race still have it and they looked great,” she joked.

2012 January 11, Amy Findlay, “Awesome Ironman!”, in Milton Ulladulla Times:

A MAN has been fined and banned from recreational fishing in Victoria after confusing his budgie smugglers for abalone smugglers.

2012 January 12, Kate Starke, “Smuggler hid illegal abalone in underpants”, in Herald Sun:

Next, on with his favourite budgie smugglers. His sequined posing pouch. No winky shrinkage for him.

2023 April 21, John Crace, “Psycho goes down raging: the liberal wokerati finally get to Raab”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:

(Australia, New Zealand, UK, informal) A style of tightfitting men's swimming costume cut like underwear briefs that covers the buttocks and groin but not the legs and reveals the bulge of the genitals; especially worn in surf lifesaving and in swimming races.


crawler

From crawl (“to move slowly, by dragging the body along the ground”) + -er.

suf

A child who is able to creep using its hands and knees but is not able to walk.

A tractor crawler, a motorized vehicle that uses caterpillar tracks instead of wheels.

Crawler-based search engines have three major elements. The first is the spider, also called the crawler, which visits a web page, reads it, and then follows links to other pages within the site.

2008, Alex Michael, Ben Salter, Marketing Through Search Optimization, Routledge, →ISBN, page xii:

These serve as an algorithmic way to judge the “mobileness” of a site, and similar algorithms are likely to be used by the search crawlers.

2011, James Pearce, Professional Mobile Web Development with WordPress, Joomla! and Drupal, page 466:

(Internet) A software bot that autonomously follows connected paths such as links between web pages.


crawler

From crawl (“to act in a servile manner”) + -er.
From the Australian convict period (1788–1850); a prisoner who was purposely and extensively abused by an overseer (also a convict) and thereby driven to escape but who, finding it impossible to survive in the Australian bush, surrenders to this overseer, who would then have his penal term reduced. The particular crawler was picked for his weak personality and might escape and return a number of times increasing his own penal term each time. According to James Tucker, some convict overseers had their sentences extensively reduced using this odious practice.

suffix

(Australia, obsolete) A person who is abused, physically or verbally, and returns to the abuser a supplicant.


scratch

en-verb

scratch (third-person singular simple present scratches, present participle scratching, simple past and past participle scratched)

scratches (present singular third-person)
scratching (participle present)
scratched (participle past)
scratched (past)

From Middle English scracchen, of uncertain origin. Probably a blend of Middle English scratten (“to scratch”) and cracchen (“to scratch”). More at scrat and cratch.

scratch a liberal and you'll find a fascist

Kerley, 26, is the 2019 World bronze medalist at 400 meters, a distance he is known for and with which he also won the 2017 and 2019 U.S. titles, but surprised the track world by announcing one week ago that he scratched the 400m and would focus on the 100m and 200m in Eugene, Oregon, despite not having raced the 100m between 2015 and 2020.

2021 June 21, Brandon Penny, NBC Sports:

Hurtis-Houairi, in lane three, quickly caught Arron, who was in lane four, winning in 22.80. Arron, who scratched the 100m semis in order to focus on the longer sprint, could only run 23.44.

2008 July 26, P-J Vazel, World Athletics:

(swimming, athletics) To announce one's non-participation in a race or sports event part of a larger sports meeting that one was previously signed up for, usually in lieu of another event at the same meeting.


dog-paddle

dog-paddle (third-person singular simple present dog-paddles, present participle dog-paddling, simple past and past participle dog-paddled)

dog-paddles (present singular third-person)
dog-paddling (participle present)
dog-paddled (participle past)
dog-paddled (past)


maillot

Borrowed from French maillot (“shirt, leotard”).


cossie

From costume + -ie (“diminutive suffix”).

“Let's not bother with cossies Jack. Let′s pretend it′s years ago.”
She remembered the times they had swum at Eleni beach totally naked, the moon and stars lighting the little waves as they rolled slowly to shore.

I struck off boldly, but soon found myself unaccountably labouring. The reason became abundantly clear when I stood up, clad only in two three-foot-long shoulder straps, with two stone of waterlogged cossie round my ankles.

2009, Brenda Sensicle-Creese, Sensicle, But Not Always, page 3:

She would just change now very quickly and then run down to Lingerie and—no, she thought, I won′t; I′ll go to the cossies first, because I don′t want anyone to see me carrying that parcel from Lingerie (which used a different patterned wrapping paper, printed with a lace and ribbom design) because they might guess what′s in it, or they might ask. So I′ll just go to the cossies first.

2009, Madeleine St. John, The Women in Black, page 72:


synchronised swimming

A swimming event where competitors swim in a ballet-like manner in a swimming pool


tread water

tread water (third-person singular simple present treads water, present participle treading water, simple past (common in US) treaded water or (more common in UK) trod water, past participle treaded water or (more common in UK) trodden water or (more common in UK) trod water)

treads water (present singular third-person)
treading water (participle present)
treaded water (US past regional)
trod water (UK common past)
treaded water (participle past)
trodden water (UK common participle past)
trod water (UK common participle past)

We gained the interior of the submarine cave without difficulty, and on emerging from the waves, supported ourselves for some time by treading water, while we held the two bundles above our heads.

1857, R. M. Ballantyne, “chapter 13”, in The Coral Island:

To remain afloat in the water without use of any buoyancy aid, by using kicking motions and hand motions.

pysytellä pinnalla

to remain afloat in water without use of any buoyancy aid


swimmers

I adjust my hat, I wipe my hands on the back of my swimmers to ensure they are dry, then get in my ready position.

2012, Adam Fraser, Write Now!The Third Space, →ISBN, page 156:

(chiefly New South Wales, Canberra) A swimsuit.


nut huggers

So-called due to their propensity to compress (hug) the nuts (testicles).

(slang, vulgar) Men's swimming briefs, tight-fitting jeans or similar, especially tight, lower-body garments.


two-piece

A garment consisting of two separate parts; especially such a swimsuit


speedos

From Speedos (“trademark of the Speedo company”), which has become a generic name.

For example, board riders paid more attention to appearances (short hair v long hair, speedos v board shorts) and conspicuous behavior (surfing for training rather than for fun or to express oneself), than life savers.

1979, Kent Pearson, Surfing Subcultures of Australia and New Zealand, University of Queensland Press, page 118:

2000 July, Ian Jack (editor), Granta, Issue 70: Australia: The New New World, →ISBN, page 42,
I remember my mother standing exasperated in the rain with the brolly over her head at dusk while I frog-kicked around in my speedos.

Their club is Manly, and this word is emblazoned across the back of their speedos.

2006, Margaret Henderson, Marking Feminist Times: Remembering the Longest Revolution in Australia, page 212:

(Canada, US, Australia, New Zealand, usually in the plural) A men′s tight fitting brief swimsuit.


dookie

In Scots, dookie, doukit, and douker (terms related to the British English duck, equivalent to the American English dunk) have all been used to refer to Baptists. Hence a dookie in Scots is, jocularly, someone who ducks or dunks people in water when baptising them.

(Scotland) swimming costume, bathing suit


swimwear

en-noun

swimwear (usually uncountable, plural swimwears)

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April 19 2002, Scott Tobias, AV Club Dark Tidehttp://www.avclub.com/articles/dark-tide,72548/
For Stockwell’s purposes, Halle Berry reps an appreciable presence in swimwear, but even her opening voiceover sounds swamped by boredom and regret.

Items of clothing appropriate for swimming.


ice swimming

The most serious cold water swimmers participate in competitive ice swimming events in bodies of water less than 41 °F (5 °C), sometimes carved out of frozen rivers or lakes and part of the International Winter Swimming Association and the International Ice Swimming Association.

2011, Steven Munatones, Open Water Swimming, Human Kinetics, page 8:

2015, Alexander Armstrong, Land of the Midnight Sun: My Arctic Adventures, 2016, Penguin Random House (Corgi), page 62,
Because I am going Ice Swimming, I am meeting a club of Tromsø Ice Swimmers.

Winter swimming (or ice swimming) is not for everybody. People with a heart condition should not practice it.

2016, Harald Haarmann, Modern Finland, McFarland & Company, page 100:

The practice of swimming in a gap or hole in the ice of an iced-over body of water.


swimming goggles

You should wear a pair of swimming goggles because of all the pollen.

Goggles to protect the eyes from material in the water, while swimming.

ulleres de natació

goggles for protecting the eyes in the water


natatorium

natatorium (plural natatoriums or natatoria)

/neɪtəˈtɔːɹɪəm/

Borrowed from Late Latin natatorium, noun use of the neuter singular of Latin natātōrius (“for swimming”). Equivalent to natatory + -ium.

This Association shall be known by the name, style and title of "The Natatorium and Institute for Scientific Instruction in the Improvement of the Physical Powers," and shall have for its object the attainment by scientific inquiry and investigation of the most desirable and beneficial mode of physical exercise, and by the scientific use of natatorial, orthopedic, gymnastic and such other physical exercise as may be prescribed by the By-Laws of this Association, to improve the health and physical condition of those who may avail themselves of the advantages of this Natatorium and Institution, in conformity with the terms of its By-Laws.

1860, Paul B. Goddard et al., To Philadelphians on Behalf of the Natatorium & Physical Institute, Philadelphia, Pa.: J. B. Chandler, printer, 306 & 308 Chestnut Street, Girard Building, →OCLC, page 16:

[page 124] Although the five public natatoriums in Milwaukee now accommodate about 1,200,000 bathers per annum, they are capable of serving 400,000 more people a year than at present. […] [page 126] [O]ne of the best ways to reform an unruly gang is to get them to be devoted to a vigorous, manly man. There seems to be very little of this spirit in the present natatoriums. This is due in part to the swarms in which the boys come to the pool whenever it is open to them.

1915, The Playground, volume 9, New York, N.Y.: Executive Committee of the Playground Association of America, →OCLC, pages 124 and 126:

Although the public does not pay an admission fee for the privilege of using natatoria facilities, the city charges ten cents for towels and soap, and ten cents for the rental of swimming trunks and bathing suits. In 1948 total revenues were $20,284 from this source for all natatoria.

1949, Griffenhagen & Associates, City of Milwaukee Report, [Chicago, Ill.], →OCLC, page 10:

THE WAIKIKI NATATORIUM'S FIRST EVENT. An outdoor, oceanside pool was envisioned as part of the Waikiki War Memorial Park, which honored Hawaii's soldiers killed in World War I. […] In 1927 the facility opened and became known as the Waikiki Natatorium. The 40 × 110-yard Natatorium was the world's largest open-ocean swim stadium.

1999, Dan Cisco, Hawai'i Sports: History, Facts, and Statistics, Honolulu, Hi.: University of Hawaii Press, →ISBN, page 293:

A sunken chamber almost like a natatorium at some hot-springs resort, so cool and dim that you forgot after a while about the desert waiting out there to resume for you as soon as you stepped back into it. […]

2006, Thomas Pynchon, Against the Day, New York, N.Y.: Penguin Press, ISBN 978-1-59420-120-2; republished London: Vintage Books, 2007, ISBN 978-0-09-951233-2, page 226

Natatoria are often programmed as part of Rec centers. Like gymnasiums, natatoria may be of many different sizes, but they require large clear-span structures. In addition, swimming pools have specific requirements for soil conditions and foundation systems, as well as spatial relationships with equipment rooms and locker rooms. […] These unique features make it very unlikely that an existing building can be transformed into a natatorium for less cost than building new. If the other desired program elements can be adequately developed within existing space, the natatorium piece might be a sensible addition or future phase.

2009, National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association, Campus Recreational Sports Facilities: Planning, Design, and Construction Guidelines, Champaign, Ill.: Human Kinetics, →ISBN, page 58:

(US) A swimming pool, especially an indoor one; a building housing one or more swimming pools.

Gabrielson Natatorium
University of Georgia
natatorium


scissor kick

(swimming) A leg movement in which the legs are separated and brought together with a snap.


synchronized swimmer

synchronized swimmer (plural synchronized swimmers)

synchronized swimming
synchronized swimming

(swimming) Someone who practices synchronized swimming.

Synchronschwimmer

someone who practices synchronized swimming


bathing trunks

His bathing trunks were ruined and he didn't have another pair.

A pair of shorts or briefs worn for swimming or bathing.


tankini

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“Bar closing. Your card declined.” “Ah, man. That'll be my ex-wife going nuts on BikiniWorld.com again. She's never met a tankini she didn't wanna bring home. I'll just go get some cash out. You guys hold tight.” “Well, now, how about we get the drinks?”

2021 April 18, Kevin Avery, “Tusk in the Wind Adventure” (6:23 from the start), in The Great North, season 1, episode 9, spoken by Tusk Johnson (J.K. Simmons):

A bathing suit composed of a tank top and the lower half of a bikini.


burqini

(Islam) A head-to-toe swimsuit, enabling women to conform to the Islamic dress code when bathing on a public beach.


breaststroker

(swimming) A person swimming using the breaststroke.


trudgen

Named for John Trudgen (1852-1902), an English swimmer who popularised the stroke.

(swimming) A swimming stroke in which the left and right hands are alternately raised out of the water, brought forward and drawn back through the water. A scissor kick is performed on every second stroke.


trudgen

en-verb

trudgen (third-person singular simple present trudgens, present participle trudgening, simple past and past participle trudgened)

trudgens (present singular third-person)
trudgening (participle present)
trudgened (participle past)
trudgened (past)


splash-and-dash

(swimming) A fifty-metre freestyle swimming event.


take a dip

take a dip (third-person singular simple present takes a dip, present participle taking a dip, simple past took a dip, past participle taken a dip)

takes a dip (present singular third-person)
taking a dip (participle present)
took a dip (past)
taken a dip (participle past)


bikini bottom

Sandy had to clean sand out of her bikini bottom after Patrick accidentally kicked the ground next to where she was seated.

The poster depicts model Gail Kelly as a snorkeler clad only in a bikini bottom with her back to the camera.

1979 December 7, Morton Lucoff, “No nude girl, but new poster's an eyeful”, in The Miami Herald:


floaty

From float (noun) + -y (suffix forming diminutive nouns).

suffix

As an escaped megalodon swims close to a busy beach, we see humanity at its most chompable: chubby kids in floaties, doofuses on pontoons, some dork in a tight Speedo rolling around in one of those big inflatable Zorb balls. But alas, the movie is a gore-free PG-13, and though CGI has long since replaced animatronics as the monster movie's weapon of choice, one thing hasn’t changed: giant killer fish still look like they’re made of rubber.

2018 August 8, Ignatiy Vishnevetsky, “Jason Statham fighting a giant shark should be a lot more fun than The Meg”, in The A.V. Club, archived from the original on 2023-12-26:

(swimming) Chiefly in the plural: synonym of armband (“one of a pair of inflatable plastic bands, normally worn on the upper arms, to help the wearer (often a child) float in water and learn to swim”)


boardies

I find them a curiously confronting sight, dressed in thongs, boardies and Victoria Bitter singlets, and shrouded in Australian flags.

2009, Paul Daley, Beersheba: A Journey Through Australia's Forgotten War, page 313:

Sadly he was later parted from his beloved leopard print boardies when he left them drying on his tent in Rome, and a bypasser took off with them. More sadly that meant that someone else out there also thought that leopard print boardies were a ‘must have’ fashion item.

2010, Shannon Meadows, Road Wench - It's A Tour, Not A Holiday, unnumbered page:

Every so often families in bikinis, boardies and sarongs traipse past on their way back from the beach and look in.

2010, Matt Preston, “A Pilgrimage to El Bulli”, in Don George, Janet Austin, editors, A Moveable Feast, Lonely Planet, page 121:


boardshorts

en-noun

boardshorts pl (plural only, attributive boardshort)

But the appeal of the label — now sold at surf shops in 19 states and 12 countries — is that its black boardshorts and no-frills logos both bypass the sport’s floral sartorial clichés and also, for those in the know, summon up a hard-core, roots surfer image of riders like those Da Hui underwrites.

2008 May 15, Guy Trebay, “A Line in the Sand and in the Stores”, in New York Times:

A style of typically knee-length lightweight shorts worn generally by males as swimwear and for surfing.


butterfly stroke

butterfly stroke (plural butterfly strokes)

As you begin to integrate butterfly into your workouts, begin with two to four full butterfly strokes from the wall, then swim easy freestyle for the remainder of the length.

2009, Jim Montgomery, Mo Chambers, “Butterfly”, in Mastering Swimming, →ISBN, page 56:

A swimming stroke in which the body is prone, the arms are moved in simultaneous circles, and the feet are kicked up and down.


zoomer

→ Russian: зу́мер (zúmer)

Portmanteau from Generation Z and boomer (“baby boomer, a person born between 1945 and early 1960s”). Merriam-Webster identified the earliest use in its current sense as being made on 16 March 2016 by an aviation engineer named Jennie Santoro at HNTB Seattle, in a presentation called "Boomers to Zoomers: Passing the Torch to Generation Z!"
However, the word was ultimately popularized through a variant of the Wojak meme which originated on 4chan on July 21st, 2018, and from there spread to other platforms. Accordingly, Urban Dictionary view statistics suggest that it began gaining traction in mid-2018 before peaking in January 2020.

Coordinate term: millennial

Hug a Boomer/Xer/Millennial/Zoomer In case you missed it: Gen Z is mad at boomers for the state of the world; boomers are mad at Gen Z for being so dismissive; Gen X feels forgotten and yet resents even themselves; […]

2019 December 27, Anya Strzemien, “13 Ways to Be a Better Person in 2020”, in New York Times:


trikini

From tri- + bikini, interpreting the first syllable as bi-. Compare monokini.

A swimsuit comprising three separate pieces of fabric, typically bottoms and one for each breast.


mankini

Blend of man + bikini, equivalent to man + -kini.

Then he spray-tans and parades before a panel of judges in a posing suit, known in the sport as a mankini.

2012 April 1, Mary Pilon, “Sculptured by Weights and a Strict Vegan Diet”, in The New York Times:

A few supporters even wore mankinis of their own in solidarity.

2024 February 19, Yan Zhuang, “An Olympic Equestrian Rode a Horse in a ‘Mankini.’ Australia Loves Him.”, in The New York Times:


flutter kick

Everybody crowded around very excitedly and talked about the Australian crawl, a stroke I cannot do because there is something wrong with my flutter kick.

1946, George Johnston, Skyscrapers in the Mist, page 48:

(swimming) A kick technique in which the swimmer kicks the legs alternately up and down for propulsion.


IMer

"When I first joined ACAC (Ames Cyclones Aquatics Club), we were swimming together in a lane and I ended up going behind her," Hala said. "We were doing IM (individual medley) in warm-up and I was on her feet and I was like I'm an IMer, can I go ahead of you? She told me no."

2021 August 11, Joe Randleman, “Magnificent Meghan: Donald ready to defend state swimming titles for Ames High”, in Ames Tribune:

"Jipping had himself a meet," Scheerhorn said. "He used to be an IMer and backstroker. This season, we knew we needed someone else in the 200 free and seeing that five-second drop in prelims was incredible. He swam lights out."

2022 February 25, Dan D'Addona, “Zeeland swims to OK Rainbow Conference title”, in The Holland Sentinel:

(swimming) A swimmer who competes in the individual medley race.


swim fin

flipper, footwear used while swimming for more speed


water wing

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From water + wing. Compare German Schwimmflügel (“water wing”, literally “swim-wing”).

noncog

(swimming) Synonym of armband (“one of a pair of inflatable plastic bands, normally worn on the upper arms, to help the wearer (often a child) float in water and learn to swim”)


skinny dipper

The headline of a story in the local paper read “Skinny Dipper Charges Rape.”

2017 March, Kent L. Koppelman, Values in the Key of Life: Making Harmony in the Human Community, Amityville, New York: Taylor & Francis, →ISBN, →ISBN:

After a little horseplay and floating around, April said “Look over there, it's our skinny dipper. […]

2016 June, Roger Riffelmacher, Rogg's Bar And Grill, AuthorHouse, →ISBN, →OCLC, →ISBN:

Someone who swims naked; someone who skinny dips.


camikini

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A swimsuit consisting of a thin-strapped camisole top and a bikini bottom.


bandini

The new concept in two-piece swimwear, along with sister suits -- the camisole-strapped camikini and the bandeau-topped bandini, will be the dominant silhouettes for spring/summer '99.

1999 February 18, Polly Rayner, “The two-for-one suit”, in Morning Call:

Elisabeth Filarski's name may be a distant memory, but her legacy is extending far beyond the Australian Outback. Among the popular swimsuit styles you'll find across Middle Georgia this summer is the one the footwear designer of "Survivor" fame wore on that TV show: the bandeau bikini, or bandini, which features a tubelike top.

2001 May 27, “Suit Yourself”, in Macon Telegraphy:

Paula Hermanny for VIX continues the wave of beads and sequins on this "bandini," $140, with bandeau/tank top and "scoop" bottom in grape, […]

2006 May 7, “Well-suited”, in Sarasota Herald-Tribune:

A swimsuit consisting of a generally strapless bandeau top and a bikini bottom.


bandkini

"The bandkini is very popular," said Shawn Smith, owner of Tropic Trader on Hilton Head. "It has a band-style top with detachable straps and bikini bottoms."

2001 June 10, Erin Becker, “Summer fashions hit area beaches”, in The Island Packet:


bandikini

It now includes the camikini (camisole top) and bandikini (tube top).

1999 June 3, Anne Bratskeir, “Tanks a Lot”, in Newsday:


halterkini

A swimsuit consisting of a halter top and a bikini bottom.


skirtini

A two-piece swimsuit consisting of a bikini or other style top (halter, tank, etc.) and a short, skirted bottom.


swim briefs

For racing, swim briefs for men and swimsuits for women often feature bicycle padding. Serious triathletes jump right onto their bikes after the swim, not taking time to change to cycling shorts. Unless you're tough, buy a padded suit. They tend not to fit or stay as snug as cycling shorts, so as crazy as it sounds you may want to do a practice ride in your padded swimsuit prior to race day, to make sure you're comfortable enough.

2001, Wes Hobson, Clark Campbell, Mike Vickers, Michael F. Vickers, Swim, Bike, Run, page 90:


racing briefs

A quick flip-turn jackknifed his narrow hips out of the water for a second as he began another lap, exposing the most miniscule^([sic]) pair of black racing briefs that she'd ever seen outside a magazine swimwear layout.

1989, Candace Schuler, Sophisticated Lady, Harlequin, →ISBN, page 152:

A briefs-style male swimsuit such as those worn in competitive swimming and diving.


skinny dip

en-verb

skinny dip (third-person singular simple present skinny dips, present participle skinny dipping, simple past and past participle skinny dipped)

skinny dips (present singular third-person)
skinny dipping (participle present)
skinny dipped (participle past)
skinny dipped (past)

Wanting to cool off after a long hike, the women decided to stop and skinny dip under the waterfall.


swimshorts

shorts designed for aquatic sports or as beachwear, typically worn by males


microkini

A very skimpy bikini that covers little beyond the genitals and nipples.

Microkini

a very skimpy bikini that covers little beyond the genitals and nipples


fatkini

Gregg, a size 18, famously posted an image of herself in a striped “fatkini” last spring — deep cleavage, non-skinny legs and all.

2013 February 1, Jennifer Barger, “Curve Appeal”, in The Washington Post:

Gabi’s "fatkini" stories shed light on the misconceptions about women, body image, and swimwear.

2013 May 24, Olivia Fleming, “Fashion blogger's 'Fatkini' swimsuits sell out within hours to the disappointment of thousands of eager plus-size customers”, in Daily Mail:

(slang) A two-piece swimsuit designed for an overweight woman; a plus-size bikini.


facekini

Blend of face + bikini, calque of Chinese 臉基尼 /脸基尼 (liǎnjīní), equivalent to face + -kini.

In the summer, look out for the armies of brides and bridegrooms using the beaches for their wedding photos, and look out for another more recent phenomena: the facekini.

A desire to protect the whiteness of the skin when no parasol is at hand has given rise to the “facekini.”

2018, Sophia Camille Erickson, The China Option: A Guide for Millennials: How to Work, Play, and Find Success in China, unnumbered page:

Europeans are depicted enjoying the beach environment in Rhodes, Greece, and Chinese citizens using floatation devices and covering up with the facekini and bodysuits are portrayed in Hainan island, China.

2019, Tingzhen (Jane) Chen & Philip L. Pearce, "Chinese Tourists and the Sun: Implications for Design Experiences", in Delivering Tourism Intelligence: From Analysis to Action (eds. Philip L. Pearce & Hera Oktadiana), pages 183-184

In scorching Beijing, “facekinis” are the hottest new fashion as surging temperatures shatter records.

2023 July 21, Reuters, “‘Facekinis’ become popular in China as temperatures soar”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:

A balaclava-like swimwear face mask which completely covers the face except for holes for the eyes, nose, and mouth, worn as protection from sun and irritants.


Trudgen stroke

(swimming) Synonym of trudgen (“type of swimming stroke”)


butterflier

(swimming) Someone who competes in butterfly swimming.


tumble turn

(swimming) A turn used to reverse the direction in which the person is swimming.


swimcap

(clothing) A waterproof cap worn on the head while swimming.


bikini briefs

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I expected Burt to be wimpish or emaciated without his detective dress suit, but he was quite the opposite. He obviously worked out regularly. His swimsuit wasn't one of those male bikini briefs, but he certainly could wear one.

2023, Judy Spoon Ertel, Any Which Aweigh You Die:


grape smugglers

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Humorously suggesting that the bulges are the result of grapes hidden inside the clothing.

(clothing, slang, humorous) Tight or skimpy swimwear worn by men revealing details of the genitalia.


swim-off

If the disqualifications leave a vacancy for the full complement of finalists, swim-offs shall be continued among the disqualified swimmers until a full complement of finalists is assured.

1973, Aquatics Guide, with Official Rules and Swimming and Diving Standards:

The swim-off would be open to any athlete who hadn't competed in the official 200 free. Since the swim-off would be the last event at the Trials, the upshot allowed Mark to enter it without affecting any of his other races.

2008, Richard J Foster, Mark Spitz: The Extraordinary Life of an Olympic Champion, →ISBN, page 48:

They came up with a compromise where he could compete in a special swim-off two months later.

2012, Dan Stephenson, The Underwater Window, →ISBN:

(swimming) A special swimming race in which the winner gets to compete in the next level of trials (typically the finals), where the competitors have not qualified for the next level by the usual elimination races.


swimmer's hair

A greenish discoloration of the hair, caused by chlorine in a swimming pool.


swim trunks

From swim + trunks, or shortened from swimming trunks.


sluggos

From slug + -o. So-called due to the bulge of the genitals resembling a slug beneath the seam or pouch region of the briefs.

He had no luck with the sluggos, something he said he suffered when he wore them, but neither of us knew what he was talking about.

Their times came down and down until, on about the tenth change of dress, they went from sluggos to wetsuits in one minute forty-three.

2012, Gregor Salmon, Navy Divers, page 20:

I was paddling out, and this guy said, What are you doing in those sluggos?

2015, Tom Carroll, Nick Carroll, TC, page 16:

(slang, Australia) A type of men's swimming briefs where the bulge of the genitals is noticeable.


tanksuit

A woman's one-piece swimsuit, or maillot.


polar bear plunge

en-noun

polar bear plunge (plural polar bear plunges)

An outdoor plunge or swim in the middle of winter, often through ice.


dolphin kick

(swimming) An underwater swimming stroke, where both legs are held together and undulated, like a mermaid's tail, to propel the swimmer


butterfly kick

(swimming) The kicking motion associated with the butterfly stroke.


upkick

The general position of the feet is that heels and rear part of the toes just break the surface of the water on the upkick and drive to the position of about 45 cms underneath.

2002, Kishin R. Wadhwaney, The Story of Swimming:


downsweep

(swimming) The downward motion of a swimmer's arm.


slingkini

A one-piece swimsuit resembling the Y-shape frame of a slingshot which is supported by fabric at the neck providing as little or even less, coverage (or as much exposure) as a bikini.


bikini top

Tori had to readjust her bikini top when it became dislodged after a dive into the water.


dead man's float

dead man's float (plural dead man's floats)

(swimming) A floating position in which the swimmer lies face down on the water with the arms extended forward and the legs behind them.


outsweep

(swimming) The motion of a swimmer's arm outward, away from the body.


insweep

(swimming) The motion of a swimmer's arm inward, towards the body.


armfloat

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At that moment I realised just how alike Dad and BRAD were, and an image splashed into my mind of the two of them, armfloats strapped to their arms and goggles on their foreheads, […]

Synonym of armband (“one of a pair of inflatable plastic bands, normally worn on the upper arms, to help the wearer (often a child) float in water and learn to swim”)


paraswimming

An adaptation of the sport of swimming for athletes with disabilities.


swimshirt

Jess always wore a specially protective swimshirt over her togs to minimise the effect of the sun on her fair skin, and a floppy white hat, but Raefe was bare-shouldered and hatless as he worked away at the sandcastle.

1997, Lindsay Armstrong, Accidental Nanny, Mills & Boon, →ISBN, pages 43–44:

Ensure also that you’ve got adequate sun protection; in addition to high-SPF sunscreen and hats, Lycra swimshirts are a good idea.

2002, Cathy Lanigan, Travel with Children, 4th edition, Lonely Planet, →ISBN, page 222:

Hats, sunglasses, and long-sleeved swimshirts are also important aspects of safe sun exposure.

2016, Meghan Treitz, Maya Bunik, David Fox, “Ambulatory & Office Pediatrics”, in William W. Hay, Jr., Myron J. Levin, Robin R. Deterding, Mark J. Abzug, editors, Current Diagnosis & Treatment: Pediatrics, twenty-third edition, McGraw-Hill Education, →ISBN, page 238:

A shirt worn over a swimsuit in order to provide extra protection from the sun.


individual medley

individual medley (countable and uncountable, plural individual medleys)

Coordinate term: medley relay

(swimming) A medley swimming race consisting of a single competitor swimming equal distances of four different strokes.


microbikini

Victoria's Secret and microbikinis were out of the question—so were the enveloping caftans that would trip her up if she tried to run.

2006, Anne Stuart, Cold As Ice, page 184:


string bikini

A woman's two-piece swimsuit that is more revealing than a regular bikini, consisting of two triangular pieces connected at the groin but not at the sides, where a thin "string" wraps around the waist, connecting the two parts with a top that is similar and is tied in place by the attached "string" pieces.


swimming briefs

Later I called him with Judy's suggestion; he agreed immediately. After all, we would get to swim in a mixed-gender pool, with the women wearing bikinis and the men in swimming briefs.

2010, Sami Alrabaa, Veiled Atrocities: True Stories of Oppression in Saudi Arabia, page 199:

A briefs-style male swimsuit such as those worn in competitive swimming, diving, and water polo.