▪ I. † swage, n.1
[f. swage v.1 Cf. assuage n.]
1. Alleviation, relief.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 24350 (Edin.) Þat suim was of mi soruing swage [Cott. suage]. |
2. concr. The excrement of the otter. local. (Cf. swaging vbl. n.1 3.)
| 1834 Medwin Angler in Wales II. 217 Curiosity led me to look if any fresh swages of the dourghie [Welsh dwrfgi otter] were visible. 1893–4 Northumbld. Gloss., Swage, Spraints, excrement of the otter. |
▪ II. swage, n.2
(sweɪdʒ)
[a. OF. souage, -aige, later and mod.F. suage. See also swedge.]
1. An ornamental grooving, moulding, border, or mount on a candlestick, basin, or other vessel.
| 1374 Acc. John de Sleford (Acc. Exch. K.R. 397/10) m. 2 (Publ. Rec. Off.) Pro duobus paribus legherneys plauntez cum swages de laton' deauratis. 1399 (May 29) Chancery Warrants Ser. i. File 601. No. 1891, [Six white silver salt-cellars, gilt on the] swages. 1513 in Archaeologia LVI. 333 A bason of syluer all playn the swages gilt. Ibid. 335 A litle candelsticke of siluer, swages gilt w{supt} a nose. 1517 Ibid. LXI. 86, ij newe chalices with vernacles in the patene the swages of the patens overgilt. 1539 in W. Herbert Hist. 12 Gt. Livery Comp. Lond. (1836) II. 196 The said Rob't disceytfully dyd sette swags for feyt to the same pecys [of silver]. 1688 R. Holme Armoury iii. xiv. (Roxb.) 4/1 The fillet or swage, is that ring or edge which is on the outside ye brime [of a dish]. 1739 Act 12 Geo. II c. 26 §6 Any Sorts of Tippings or Swages on Stone or Ivory Cases. |
b. A circular or semicircular depression or groove, as on an anvil (cf. swage-anvil in 2 b attrib.)
| 1680 Moxon Mech. Exerc. xi. 196 The Point cuts a fine Hollow Circle or Swage in the Flat of the Board. 1688 R. Holme Armoury iii. 308/2 In the face of this kinde of Anvil are smal halfe round nicks, which are termed Swages. |
2. † a. = gauge n. 11. Obs.
| 1688 Holme Armoury iii. 366/2 A..Joyners Gage (of some termed a Swage). |
b. A tool for bending cold metal (or moulding potter's clay) to the required shape; also, a die or stamp for shaping metal on an anvil, in a press, etc.
| 1812 P. Nicholson Mech. Exerc., Smithing 353 Swages, all instruments used to give the form or contour of any moulding, &c. used in the same manner as the rounding tool. 1831 J. Holland Manuf. Metal I. ix. 147 The sides of the metal are then bent up with swages in the usual way, so as to bring the two edges as close together as possible. 1832 Babbage Econ. Manuf. xi. 69 The smith..has small blocks of steel into which are sunk cavities of various shapes; these are called swages, and are generally in pairs. Thus if he wants a round bolt, terminating in a cylindrical head of larger diameter,..he uses a corresponding swaging-tool. 1834–6 Encycl. Metrop. VIII. 454/1 (Pottery) With..finger and thumb,..or with his fingers only, he gives the first rude form to the vessel, and by a swage, rib, or other utensil,..smooths the inside. 1839 Ure Dict. Arts 379 In order to make the bolster of a given size,..it is introduced into a die, and a swage placed upon it. 1883 Crane Smithy & Forge 30 Swages..consist of tools having certain definite shapes, so that the hot iron, being placed in or below them, takes their shape when struck. |
| attrib. 1843 Holtzapffel Turning I. 225 A swage-tool five feet long worked by machinery. Ibid. 231 The holes in the swage block..are used after the manner of heading tools for large objects. Ibid. 427 The metal may be gradually reduced by one pair of swage-bits. 1854 A. E. Baker Northampt. Gloss., Swage, to work iron in a groove, or into any particular form. The anvil employed for this purpose is called a swage-anvil. 1869 Rankine Machine & Hand-tools Pl. P 9, The swage-hammer. |
▪ III. swage, v.1 Obs. exc. arch. or dial.
(sweɪdʒ)
Also 3–6 suage, (4 squage, 6 swadge, Sc. suaige).
[a. AF. suag(i)er, swag(i)er, OF. *souagier, = Pr. suaujar, suauzar:—pop. L. *suāviāre, parallel form to *assuāviāre, whence OF. asouagier to assuage, of which swage is partly an aphetic derivative.]
= assuage. a. trans. To appease, mitigate, pacify, relieve, reduce, abate.
(a) emotion, violent action, troubled thoughts, cares, etc.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 13868 He suaged him wit wordes heind. c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. Wace (Rolls) 4570 Whan sire Cesar..Had pesed & swaged al þer ire. a 1450 Knt. de la Tour ix, Fastinge is an abstinence of vertu, right couenable to swage the yre of God. c 1450 Guy Warw. (Cambr. MS.) 5266 Tyll þey be swaged..And chastysed thorow þer owtrage. 1508 Fisher 7 Penit. Ps. vi. Wks. (1876) 4 The woodnesse of the foresayd wycked spyryte sholde be mytygate and swaged. 1562 Pilkington Expos. Abdyas Pref. 13 To abate their pride, & swage their malice. 1638–56 Cowley Davideis iii. 353 Thus chear'd he Saul, thus did his fury swage. 1667 Milton P.L. i. 556 Nor wanting power to mitigate and swage With solemn touches, troubl'd thoughts. 1671 ― Samson 184 Apt words have power to swage The tumors of a troubl'd mind. |
(b) bodily injury or pain, swelling, etc.
| c 1305 Pilate 175 in E.E.P. (1862) 116 His hurte was al swaged. 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. v. xxxiii. (Bodl. MS.), A marie of fatnes..to swage þe coldnes of bones of þe breeste plaate. c 1400 Lanfranc's Cirurg. 165 Ȝeue him metis & drynkis þat mowe swage þe cowȝe. c 1480 Henryson Sum Practysis of Medecyne 33 With þe snowt of ane selch, ane swelling to swage. 1547–64 Bauldwin Mor. Philos. (Palfr.) 163 All doubtfull diseases to swage and to cure. 1582 Stanyhurst æneis iii. (Arb.) 91 With roots of eeche herb I swadgde my great hunger. 1612 Woodall Surg. Mate Wks. (1653) 32 It swageth the pains and stitches of the breast. 1882 Lancs. Gloss., Suage, swage..to remove a swelling by fomentation. |
(c) storm, wind, heat, or other physical force. Also in fig. context (cf. (a)).
| a 1340 Hampole Psalter lxxxviii. 10 [lxxxix. 9] Þou ert lord til þe myght of þe see: þe stirynge..of þe stremys of it þou swagis. 1408 tr. Vegetius' De Re Milit. (MS. Digby 233 lf. 225/1) Þe hete of þe sonne smotheth and swageth þe scharpe blastes of þe wyndes. c 1450 tr. De Imitatione iii. xxxix. 110 Þou..swagist þe mevinges of his flodes. 1513 Douglas æneis i. iii. 84 Thus said he, and with that word hastely The swelland seis hes swagit. 1549–62 Sternhold & H. Ps. li. 8 And that my strength may now amend, which thou hast swagde for my trespace. 1582 Stanyhurst æneis ii. (Arb.) 47 Thee wynds with bloodshed were swagd. a 1600 Montgomerie Misc. P. xxxi. 43 (Laing MS.) Thy angell withe þame abod þe fyre to suaige. 1635 Quarles Embl. iii. iii. 18 Quench, quench my flames, and swage these scorching fires. 1849 Faber Hymn ‘Sweetness in Prayer’ i, What shall I do for thee, poor heart! Thy throbbing heat to swage? |
† (d) To digest. Obs.
| 1768 Ross Helenore i. 52 Her stammack had nae maughts sick meat to swage. |
b. intr. (a) To be appeased, relieved, or reduced; to decrease, abate.
| c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. Wace (Rolls) 9676 Til he were warysched of his syknesse, Or his penaunce y-swaged lesse. c 1375 Cursor M. 24350 (Fairf.) Quen þat squyme be-gan to squage. c 1412 Hoccleve De Reg. Princ. 4203 (Roxb.) 151 They felt his expenses swage, And were to hym vnkynde. a 1425 tr. Arderne's Treat. Fistula, etc. 100 Þe pacient was delyuered of akyng and þe arme biganne for to swage. 1525 Ld. Berners Froiss. II. i. 3 Than swaged the loue bitwene him and Sir Barnabo. 1545 T. Raynalde Byrth Mankynde ii. vii. (1634) 137 If one of the brests swage which before was in good liking, the other remaining sound and safe. a 1548 Hall Chron., Rich. III, 36 Lest the dukes courage should swage, or hys mynd should agayne alter. 1602 R. Carew Cornwall 106 b, Where salt and fresh the poole renues As Spring and drowth encrease or swage. 1609 Ev. Woman in Hum. i. i. in Bullen O. Pl. IV, That mooving marish element that swels and swages as it please the Moone. 1702 C. Mather Magn. Chr. vi. ii. (1852) 356 The brains left in the child's head would swell and swage, according to the tides. |
† (b) to swage of: to mitigate, abate. Obs.
| c 1440 York Myst. xxx. 371 Bidde them swage of þer sweying. |
▪ IV. † swage, v.2 Obs.
[Of obscure origin; if the root-meaning is ‘swing’, it is perh. an early form of swag v.]
1. intr. To direct a blow, swing.
| c 1400 Destr. Troy 7430 Þe sun of Theseus..choppit to Ector: With a swyng of his sword swagit on þe prinse. |
2. trans. To discharge (a gun or ballista).
| c 1420 ? Lydg. Assembly of Gods 1038 He gan swage gonnes as he had be woode. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 219 Gunnare, or he þat swagythe a gunne, petrarius, mangonalius. |
▪ V. swage, v.3
(sweɪdʒ)
[f. swage n.2 Cf. swedge v.]
trans. To shape or bend by means of a swage.
| 1831 J. Holland Manuf. Metal I. ix. 141 The article being thus hammered, is next pared with shears to the shape required, after which it is swaged or turned up at the edges. 1832, 1854 [see swage n.2 2 b]. 1838 F. W. Simms Pub. Wks. Gt. Brit. 48 The bolt to be swaged and made truly cylindrical. 1877 W. Jones Finger-ring 266 A ring..found at Fransham, has the hoop swaged or twisted. 1904 Times 20 Aug. 7/6 The sectional poles shall be..swaged together when hot so as to make a perfect joint. |