Толковый словарь английского языка Oxford English Reference - swell

v., n., & adj. --v. (past part. swollen or swelled) 1 intr. & tr. grow or cause to grow bigger or louder or more intense; expand; increase in force or intensity. 2 intr. (often foll. by up) & tr. rise or raise up from the surrounding surface. 3 intr. (foll. by out) bulge. 4 intr. (of the heart as the seat of emotion) feel full of joy, pride, relief, etc. 5 intr. (foll. by with) be hardly able to restrain (pride etc.). --n. 1 an act or the state of swelling. 2 the heaving of the sea with waves that do not break, e.g. after a storm. 3 a a crescendo. b a mechanism in an organ etc. for obtaining a crescendo or diminuendo. 4 colloq. a person of distinction or of dashing or fashionable appearance. 5 a protuberant part. --adj. 1 esp. US colloq. fine, splendid, excellent. 2 colloq. smart, fashionable. Phrases and idioms swell-box Mus. a box in which organ-pipes are enclosed, with a shutter for controlling the sound-level. swelled (or swollen) head colloq. conceit. swell-organ Mus. a section of an organ with pipes in a swell-box. Derivatives swellish adj. Etymology: OE swellan f. Gmc