swet n. & v. --n. 1
moisture exuded
through the pores of the
skin,
esp.
from heat or nervousness. 2 a
state or
period of sweating. 3 colloq. a state of
anxiety (was in a sweat
about it). 4 colloq. a drudgery,
effort. b a
laborious task or
undertaking. 5 condensed moisture on a
surface. --v. (past
and past part. sweated or US sweat) 1 intr.
exude sweat;
perspire. 2 intr. be terrified, suffering, etc. 3 intr. (of a
wall etc.)
exhibit surface moisture. 4 intr.
drudge,
toil. 5 tr. heat (meat or vegetables) slowly in
fat or
water to
extract the juices. 6 tr.
emit (blood, gum, etc.) like sweat. 7 tr.
make (a
horse,
athlete, etc.) sweat by
exercise. 8 tr. a
cause to drudge or toil. b (as sweated adj.) (of goods, workers, or labour) produced by or subjected to long hours
under poor conditions. 9 tr.
subject (hides or tobacco) to
fermentation in manufacturing. øby the sweat of one's
brow by one's
own hard work. no sweat colloq.
there is no
need to
worry. sweat-band a
band of
absorbent material inside a
hat or
round a
wrist etc. to
soak up sweat. sweat
blood colloq. 1 work strenuously. 2 be extremely
anxious. sweat gland Anat. a
spiral tubular gland
below the skin secreting sweat. sweating-sickness an
epidemic fever with sweating
prevalent in England in the 15th-16th c. sweat it
out colloq.
endure a
difficult experience to the
end. [ME swet(e), alt. (after swete v. f. OE swótan OHG sweizzen roast) of swote f. OE
swat f. Gmc]
