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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Swan \Swan\ (sw[o^]n), noun [AS. swan; akin to D. zwaan, OHG. swan, G. schwan, Icel. svanr, Sw. svan, Dan. svane; and perhaps to E. sound something audible.]
1. (Zo["o]l.) Any one of numerous species of large aquatic birds belonging to {Cygnus}, {Olor}, and allied genera of the subfamily {Cygnin[ae]}. They have a large and strong beak and a long neck, and are noted for their graceful movements when swimming. Most of the northern species are white. In literature the swan was fabled to sing a melodious song, especially at the time of its death.
Note: The European white, or mute, swan ({Cygnus gibbus}), which is most commonly domesticated, bends its neck in an S-shaped curve. The whistling, or trumpeting, swans of the genus {Olor} do not bend the neck in an S-shaped curve, and are noted for their loud and sonorous cry, due to complex convolutions of the windpipe. To this genus belong the European whooper, or whistling swan ({Olor cygnus}), the American whistling swan ({O. Columbianus}), and the trumpeter swan ({O. buccinator}). The Australian black swan ({Chenopis atrata}) is dull black with white on the wings, and has the bill carmine, crossed with a white band. It is a very graceful species and is often domesticated. The South American black-necked swan ({Sthenelides melancorypha}) is a very beautiful and graceful species, entirely white, except the head and neck, which are dark velvety seal-brown. Its bill has a double bright rose-colored knob.
2. Fig.: An appellation for a sweet singer, or a poet noted for grace and melody; as Shakespeare is called the swan of Avon.
3. (Astron.) The constellation Cygnus.
{Swan goose} (Zo["o]l.), a bird of India ({Cygnopsis cygnoides}) resembling both the swan and the goose.
{Swan shot}, a large size of shot used in fowling.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
swan
noun: stately heavy-bodied aquatic bird with very long neck and usually white plumage as adult
verb
1: to declare or affirm solemnly and formally as true; "Before God I swear I am innocent" [syn: {affirm}, {verify}, {assert}, {avow}, {aver}, {swear}]
2: move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment; "The gypsies roamed the woods"; "roving vagabonds"; "the wandering Jew"; "The cattle roam across the prairie"; "the laborers drift from one town to the next"; "They rolled from town to town" [syn: {roll}, {wander}, {stray}, {tramp}, {roam}, {cast}, {ramble}, {rove}, {range}, {drift}, {vagabond}]
3: sweep majestically; "Airplanes were swanning over the mountains"
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:
66 Moby Thesaurus words for "swan": alabaster, avifauna, baby bird, bird, bird of Jove, bird of Juno, bird of Minerva, bird of night, bird of passage, bird of prey, birdie, birdlife, birdy, cage bird, chalk, chick, cygnet, diving bird, dove, driven snow, eagle, eaglet, fish-eating bird, fledgling, fleece, flightless bird, flour, foam, fowl, fruit-eating bird, fulmar, game bird, insect-eating bird, ivory, lily, maggot, migrant, migratory bird, milk, nestling, oscine bird, owl, paper, passerine bird, peacock, peafowl, peahen, pearl, perching bird, pigeon, ratite, sea bird, seed-eating bird, sheet, shore bird, silver, snow, songbird, squab, storm petrel, stormy petrel, wading bird, warbler, water bird, waterfowl, wildfowl
From U.S. Gazetteer (1990) [gazetteer]:
Swan, IA (city, FIPS 76665) Location: 41.46561 N, 93.30942 W Population (1990): 76 (33 housing units) Area: 1.7 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water) Zip code(s): 50252
From U.S. Gazetteer Places (2000) [gaz-place]:
Swan, IA -- U.S. city in Iowa Population (2000): 121 Housing Units (2000): 40 Land area (2000): 0.647074 sq. miles (1.675914 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km) Total area (2000): 0.647074 sq. miles (1.675914 sq. km) FIPS code: 76665 Located within: Iowa (IA), FIPS 19 Location: 41.466268 N, 93.311197 W ZIP Codes (1990): 50252 Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs. Headwords: Swan, IA Swan
From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary [easton]:
Swan mentioned in the list of unclean birds (Lev. 11:18; Deut. 14:16), is sometimes met with in the Jordan and the Sea of Galilee.
From Virtual Entity of Relevant Acronyms (Version 1.9, June 2002) [vera]:
SWAN Secure WAN ??? (RSA), "S/WAN"
From Virtual Entity of Relevant Acronyms (Version 1.9, June 2002) [vera]:
SWAN Sun Wide Area Network (Sun, WAN)
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