First Known Use: before 12th century
Dictionary
1sweat
verb \ˈswet\
: to produce a clear liquid from your skin when you are hot or nervous
: to work very hard
: to feel worried or nervous about something
sweat or sweat·edsweat·ing
Full Definition of SWEAT
intransitive verb
1
a : to excrete moisture in visible quantities through the openings of the sweat glands : perspire b : to labor or exert oneself so as to cause perspiration
2
3
: to undergo anxiety or mental or emotional distress <sweat through final exams>
4
: to become exuded through pores or a porous surface : ooze
transitive verb
1
: to emit or seem to emit from pores : exude
2
: to manipulate or produce by hard work or drudgery
4
: to make wet with perspiration
5
a : to cause to excrete moisture from the skin b : to drive hard : overwork c : to exact work from at low wages and under unfair or unhealthful conditions d slang : to give the third degree to
6
: to cause to exude or lose moisture; especially : to subject (as tobacco leaves) to fermentation
7
a : to extract something valuable from by unfair or dishonest means : fleece b : to remove particles of metal from (a coin) by abrasion
8
a : to heat (as solder) so as to melt and cause to run especially between surfaces to unite them; also : to unite by such means <sweat a pipe joint> b : to heat so as to extract an easily fusible constituent <sweat bismuth ore> c : to sauté in a covered vessel until natural juices are exuded
9
slang : to worry about <doesn't sweat the small stuff — Barry McDermott>
— sweat blood
: to work or worry intensely <in preparing speeches each sweats blood in his own way — Stewart Cockburn>
See sweat defined for English-language learners
See sweat defined for kids
Origin of SWEAT
Middle English sweten, from Old English swǣtan, from swāt sweat; akin to Old High German sweiz sweat, Latin sudare to sweat, Greek hidrōs sweat
Related to SWEAT
2sweat
noun
: the clear liquid that forms on your skin when you are hot or nervous
: the state or condition of someone who is sweating
: hard work
Full Definition of SWEAT
1
: hard work : drudgery
2
: the fluid excreted from the sweat glands of the skin : perspiration
3
: moisture issuing from or gathering in drops on a surface
5
: a state of anxiety or impatience
6
See sweat defined for English-language learners
First Known Use of SWEAT
13th century
SWEAT Defined for Kids
1sweat
verb \ˈswet\
sweat or sweat·edsweat·ing
Definition of SWEAT for Kids
1
: to give off salty moisture through the pores of the skin : perspire
2
: to collect moisture on the surface <A pitcher of ice water sweats on a hot day.>
3
: to work hard enough to perspire <She sweat over the lesson.>
2sweat
noun
Definition of SWEAT for Kids
1
: perspiration 2
2
: moisture coming from or collecting in drops on a surface
3
: the condition of a person or animal perspiring <We worked up a sweat.>
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