Moves downward or forward suddenly and quickly, especially in a diving motion; or plural noun for such movements.
From Middle English 'swoupe,' possibly related to 'sweep.' The word became more common in the 1700s to describe the diving motion of birds of prey.
The word 'swoop' is basically onomatopoetic—it sounds like the movement it describes! We also use it metaphorically in phrases like 'swoop down and arrest,' showing how we take the motion of diving hawks and apply it to rapid actions.
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