swill

UK: /ˈswɪl/ US: /swɪl/ ,(swil)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

swill /swɪl/   n. [uncountable]

1. partly liquid food for animals, esp. kitchen garbage given to pigs or hogs.
2. any liquid mess or refuse;
   slop.

v. [~ + object]

3. to drink a great deal of (something), esp. in a greedy manner:
   swilling beer.
4. British Terms [Chiefly Brit.] to wash by rinsing or flooding with water.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

swill (swil),  n. 

1. liquid or partly liquid food for animals, esp. kitchen refuse given to swine;
   hogwash.
2. kitchen refuse in general;
   garbage.
3. any liquid mess, waste, or refuse;
   slop.
4. a deep draught of liquor.
5. contemptibly worthless utterance or writing;
   drivel.

v.i. 

6. to drink greedily or excessively.

v.t. 

7. to drink (something) greedily or to excess;
   guzzle.
8. to feed (animals) with swill:
   to swill hogs.
9. British Terms [Chiefly Brit.] to wash by rinsing or flooding with water.

• Middle English swilen (verb, verbal), Old English swilian, swillan bef. 900

swill′er, n. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

swill / swɪl/ verb

1. to drink large quantities of (liquid, esp alcoholic drink); guzzle
2. (transitive) often followed by out: to drench or rinse in large amounts of water
3. (transitive) to feed swill to (pigs, etc)

noun

1. wet feed, esp for pigs, consisting of kitchen waste, skimmed milk, etc
2. garbage or refuse, esp from a kitchen
3. a deep draught of drink, esp beer
4. any liquid mess
5. the act of swilling

Etymology: Old English swilian to wash out

ˈswiller noun